Stars
by SonicTeamFreeWill
Summary: "Good friends are like stars; you don't always see them, but they're always there." I feel that this applies to Carlisle and Esme - they've been in the background the whole saga and never got enough of a voice. This is my opinion of that voice. Canon
1. The New Girl

**AN ~ ok bear with me here guys I'm still getting this site sorted. I will try and get a chapter up every day but that aint gonna happen. However, I would appreciate your feedback on what I do post so just take a few seconds, a minute...an hour might be over the top, but you get the idea...to drop me a line and tell me what you think**

**ps - This story is totally canon. It's just my interpretation, not what I think should have happened. Just making that clear. **

**Acknowledgements: Mackenzie L. for some of the best C+E ffics I have EVER READ and skylarkz for being an awesome friend/reader/reviewer****Disclaimer: *ahem* I would just like to say that I had CONSIDERABLE help from the partial draft of Midnight Sun, and that a LOT of dialogue is from the books of the twilight saga. None of which are, unfortunately, mine.**

**ok, time for me to shut up and let you get on with the story. Sorry. they won't be this long in future I promise**

Chapter One: The New Girl

Carlisle:

It was a quiet day at the hospital. A broken wrist, an ankle sprain…nothing much out of the ordinary. That is, until Edward called in.

"Edward?" I wondered aloud; Edward hardly ever called me at work, let alone came into the building, and never in the middle of the school day. Unless…oh, no. I pulled him into my office.

"I have to go, Carlisle," Edward started. "I have to go _now."_

"What's happened?" I asked, trying not to let the worry show up in my voice. We had been so careful, for so long…Edward had never slipped up: not while he was staying with me. _Dear God…_

"Nothing. Yet," he said, glancing around anxiously. "But it will, if I stay."

_Oh, Edward. I knew you were strong enough…_Scolding myself for my doubt, I reached for his arm, still unsure of what to say. He cringed away from my hand, and I let it drop. Though Edward and I shared no physical traits other than those our condition and diet allowed, I had begun to draw various similarities between us. Particularly, we shared guilty consciences: we could not accept forgiveness when we were not ready to forgive ourselves. But he hadn't done anything, so what was to forgive?

"I don't understand," I said. _Please, Edward…stay. _He drew a deep breath and looked at me with wild, almost panicked eyes.

"Have you ever…has there ever been a time…"he experimented with the words on his tongue, but they were coming out wrong. "Has any one person ever smelled better to you than the rest of them? _Much _better?"

"Oh," was all I could say. I recalled Esme all those years ago, lying so still; so fragile. Her scent was so sweet and so strong that it nearly killed me to let her live. I shiver ran down my spine when I remembered what I had done to her…how she shuddered and convulsed under me as my venom coursed through her. How she moaned in pain, how she tried with dying limbs to push me away. My dear Esme, too weak to even scream as I allowed the thirst to drive me to bite again. In an early 20th century cottage bedroom, the sweetest blood in the world ran down my throat, and standing in my doctors' office nearly a century later, I tasted it again. Edward's face fell with shame. I reached out for him, wishing to relieve him of his torment by any means necessary. He recoiled from me again, but I left my hand on his shoulder.

"Do what you must to resist, son," I hated every word coming out of my mouth, but it had to be done. Even if it meant leaving Esme and I again. Even if it meant I had to be the one to watch her face fall as she realised her son had left again. "I will miss you," I told him. "Here, take my car, it's faster."

I pressed the keys into his hand. _This is right. She'll live now. Everything will be okay. _I don't know whether I was thinking to myself or to Edward as I watched the familiar black car disappear. I remembered the sheer relief on Esme's face as she threw her arms around Edward after his return from years away. His eyes were bright scarlet, lost and angry at the same time, but Esme could still tell him it didn't matter, that she loved him no matter what.

"_Promise me you'll never leave again,"_ she had practically sobbed. Her words echoed in my head as I sunk into my chair. I remembered in flashes the growing stack of newspapers that recorded Edward's killings…a collection I had made an effort to hide from Edward. _This is different, _I told myself. _This time he's leaving to save someone. But how long will it last? No, Carlisle, don't think like that…he'll manage, of course he will. He's leaving, remember?_

Of course I remembered; how could I forget?

My son was leaving.

Again.

Driving home in Edward's Volvo, I was infinitely glad of my extraordinary senses; with a human's awareness, I would very likely have crashed. I was at the same time bursting with happiness and pride that my son had been able to resist as I was falling apart with worry for him and Esme the others. When I reached the drive, I stopped so fast the screech rang out. I was inside in less than a second. Esme flew straight into my arms, silent, and I held her against my chest and waited for her to stop shaking.

"He's leaving again, isn't he?" Esme asked, finally standing.

"It's for the best, Esme," Alice assured her. "He'll be back, you'll see."

"Her name is Isabella Swan," Jasper explained, still a little stiff, though not as uncomfortable as he was at school. "She really does smell delicious." He looked ashamed for having drawn that conclusion, but Alice danced cheerfully over to him.

"Don't worry, Jazz," she said. "You wouldn't have done anything. But I did see-"

"You were wrong," Rosalie growled. Esme fidgeted, disquieted by the tense atmosphere.

"What did you see, Alice?" I asked politely. Rosalie huffed.

"Bella was one of us. She isn't yet, but she will be…" Alice said.

"It's Isabella. She's human, Alice; she's not friend material," Rosalie reminded her sister.

"She said she prefers Bella. And if Edward goes to such lengths to protect her, she must be worthy to be someone's friend."

"I wish you wouldn't make such a big deal out of this," Rosalie interrupted, stalking out of the shadows, scowling. "She's really quite plain, you know, and far too awkward…she'd make a very clumsy vampire." Emmett laughed.

"Yeah – she was shaking like a leaf this morning, and have you checked out her truck?"

"Emmett, really-" Esme scolded.

"It shouldn't matter-" I started simultaneously.

"Vampire or not, she's going to be my friend," Alice stated cheerfully.

"I'll attack before any of you, I always do," Jasper hung his head.

"She won't be one of us!" Rosalie cut us all off. "This one isn't _your_ choice." She gave me a dark glare, reminding me of every word she'd ever spoken against me and what I had done to her, then turned and stormed out of the house.

"C'mon babe," Emmett started, chasing her.

"Oh, dear," Esme whispered, shocked and sympathetic. "I wish she wouldn't do that. But I think she is right about this Bella girl…perhaps we would be best to leave too." Behind her words was another meaning: as much as she wanted to protect the innocents here – which she didn't count herself among, but did include me – she hoped Edward would be able to return to us. I hoped for it too, but I knew we had to stay. None of our decisions would result in the girl being changed unless it was to leave her unprotected.

"He'll come back, love," I assured her, kissing her smooth hair as I fought to hold onto Alice's words; _he'll be back, you'll see…_


	2. Edward's Return

Chapter Two: Edward's Return

Carlisle:

It's been six days since Edward left, and I can't help but feel a little…emptier than I used to. Esme is dealing with it better this time, but her eyes have a sadness and loss in them that even I cannot heal. I got home from work today to find her staring absently out the back window, watching the light glitter off a hidden corner of the stream that passed behind the house. She heard my bag thud softly on the carpet behind her, but did not turn.

"You're back early," she said. It was true; I had asked Dr Snow to cover my shift so I could come back.

"You need me more than they do," I replied. This was also true: Forks hospital had a multitude of doctors who, though not having had three hundred years experience, were by no means lacking in determination or skill to help their patients. Esme, however, was alone a lot. She honestly didn't mind, she liked the silence and the peace, but if she was feeling as empty as I was – and she was likely faring worse – she was more than alone. Esme did not object as I put my arms around her waist.

"I miss him," she sighed. "I wish he would come back." I shut my eyes as I breathed her soothing scent and kissed her hair.

"Have faith, love. He'll return."

"But when? When we move? When the girl dies? I want my son back, Carlisle…" She turned in my arms and I gently kissed her. She responded surprisingly strongly, and I was glad to see some spirit in her after the somewhat numbing effects of Edward's sudden departure. I strengthened my kiss too, feeling heat shiver down my spine. I stepped backwards to avoid forcing Esme through the window and ended up stumbling over my bag, pulling Esme over with me as I crashed to the floor. We laughed as we stood, and I ran some more kissed down Esme's neck as it jumped because of her giggling. Just then, the doorbell rang, and Alice flung it open a moment later.

"Sorry, I just didn't want to burst in on anything…" she said, eyes flicking between Esme and I who were now standing at opposite sides of the room, shocked into jumping apart. "But I thought I should tell you: Edward's coming home."

Esme's face lit up like a beacon.

"When?" she asked.

"Tonight," Alice replied. "He'll be back come midnight." Esme danced over to me, pulled me away from the wall and into a waltz. She spun under the arm I lifted, laughing, all traces of the ghostly Esme of a few minutes having disappeared. Jasper jumped off the tree into the kitchen a moment later, beaming.

"Much better," he remarked cheerfully. Esme fell back over one of my arms, and I kept her there with a kiss.

"Whoo! All _right! _Go Carlisle!" Emmett cheered, jumping through the kitchen with much less discretion than Jasper had. I let Esme up, embarrassed but smiling, as Rosalie made a disgusted noise from the doorway.

"Isn't grossing everyone out _our _job?" she asked, tracing a circle on Emmett's chest with a finger.

Then she laughed.

Right on cue, my black Mercedes rolled into the drive. I stood in the doorway, waiting to see the manner of my son's return. The rest of the family congregated on the pavement between the door and the car. Esme sprang on Edward the minute he emerged, having been waiting at the front of the group.

"I knew you'd be back!" she cried happily, letting herself drop back to the pavement, though still bubbling with happiness as she stepped aside to let the others greet their brother.

"Edward!" Alice cried cheerfully. Jasper reflected his partner's already infectious mood to Edward, and his grim face lifted a little.

"Welcome back, bro," Emmett greeted, grinning like a dog and slapping his brother cheerfully on the back. The family group parted, leaving a clear passage between Edward and I. He half-smiled at me, and I mirrored him. _Welcome home, son, _I greeted warmly, reinforcing the thought with warmth and love and welcome. He smiled ruefully at my use of the word 'son,' but stepped forward and let me hug him. Such an open show of affection was unusual between us, having become used to my side of the conversation being silent, but this occasion needed it.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"There's nothing to forgive," I replied, but deep down there was: he may not have meant it, but did he know how much he hurt Esme? _I'm being ridiculous, _I amended, observing the drop in Edward's face, _look at her now._ Esme was literally purring with happiness as snow began swirling around her.

"That's because of you," Edward said, so quickly and quietly only I could hear him. "If I hadn't gone, she'd still be happy. Just for six days longer." He stalked away before I could object – clearly his trip hadn't helped as much as I had hoped – and I found him sitting on the stairs out the back of the house. A snowball splattered on the stairs beside him, courtesy of Emmett, and he jumped slightly and forced a laugh. I thought about consoling him, but now was not the time for talking. Maybe he would join in…

As if to appease me, Edward stood and tossed a snowball in Jasper's direction. Jasper easily dodged it, but Edward sat back down, not even flinching as the return fire shattered against his shoulder.

Behind me, Esme laughed, and I felt my heart instantly lifted. Something wet hit me on the back, and I turned to find Esme grinning mischievously, another snowball in her raised arm. I was fast enough to dodge it – it hit the window Edward was sitting in front of – and she chased me outside, laughing merrily.

Eventually, the sun rose and the family returned inside, dried off and changed. I was bent over the spilt contents of my medical bag, examining the syringes to make sure none were broken. Esme stood beside me, a bandage roll trailing absently across the floor as she had let it drop, looking at Edward, who still hadn't moved.

"Yay, school," Alice tried to encourage Edward, wandering onto the porch.

"I have biology today. Again," he replied neutrally. "With Bella."

"Don't worry, bro, we've got your back," Emmett replied, tossing his damp shirt to Esme, who raised a hand and caught it without taking her concerned eyes off Edward, as he dug through one of the bags Alice had arrived home with from an early morning shopping spree. He pulled on a new shirt and joined the others on the porch.

"You could stay home," Jasper suggested, worried for his brother but also the slightest bit smug that it wasn't him this time. "I mean, nobody knows you're back, right?"

"No, I can go. I'll just have to be careful."

"Rule we live by," Rosalie muttered, emptying one of Alice's bags onto the bench and searching through the clothes.

At last, the time came to leave. The air went from casual to tense, every one of us anticipating what could happen today though we all hid our concern from Edward.

"Do be careful," Esme reminded him softly as they left. He nodded and pried her hands off his cheeks. He turned away, steeled himself and got into his car.

"Don't fuss, dear…If Edward weren't confident about going back, he wouldn't."  
"I'm not worried about the girl," she said. She turned around, her eyes pleading me for something I couldn't comprehend. "You should have seen your face when I slipped. You were so frightened, Carlisle, so forgiving and yet so…self-loathing. I don't want you to feel that again, and I don't want Edward to feel it either. I want my son to be happy, to have what we have. Maybe Bella is his match."

"Oh, Esme," I said, pecking her on the nose and picking up my bag. "You do so love your happy endings."


	3. Hunting

**AN ~ thanks for all the favouriting, subscribing and reviewing guys I love them! It's so nice to know that people like my story and especially specifically **_**what **_**they like. Keep 'em coming guys!**

**Disclaimer: Do I own Twilight? *looks out window for screaming fans* No. Dang it.**

Chapter Three: Hunting

Carlisle:

That night, Edward and I went hunting again. I knew he felt bad about the abrupt farewell of the week before, but I couldn't help reliving it in my head as we ran in silence. I had been the one to decide for him, in the end; I had been the one to send him away. Did it hurt him, I wondered, to see my doubts about him? Did my panic and distrust make him feel bad or unworthy?

"No," Edward answered my silent questions. "That was what I needed. I might so easily have betrayed that trust, if you'd told me to stay." _You wouldn't have, _I replied silently, but I knew the risk was there. But the risk was always there.

"I'm sorry you're suffering, Edward," I replied, "but you should do what you can to keep the Swan child alive. Even if it means leaving us again."

"I know, I know," Edward replied quickly, sounding a little irritated. I was not surprised. He had probably heard this speech a million times from the rest of us today.

"Why _did _you come back?" I asked, not meaning to sound rude but honestly curious. "You know how happy I am to have you here, but if this is too difficult…"

"I didn't like feeling like a coward," Edward replied, though he knew that wasn't the answer I wanted. We slowed right down, barely jogging through the dark night.

"Better that than putting her in danger. She'll be gone in a year or two." _You know that._

"You're right, I know that," Edward replied, but his tone informed me he was thinking about something…or someone…else. I stopped and turned, and Edward stopped too. His face was a mixture of emotions I could not make out: he was thinking about Charlie's daughter; the Swan girl.

_But you're not going to run, are you? _I pressed silently. This was a form of conversation we had grown used to in our many years together; one we used less and less as the family and the number of humans around us grew. He hung his head. _Is it pride, Edward? _I inquired, exposing the concern I had hidden earlier. _There's no shame in-_

"No," Edward interrupted. "It isn't pride that keeps me here. Not now."

_Nowhere to go? _I wondered. I had known the feeling once, long ago: wandering aimlessly, finding no interest in anything. Then I had found none other than Edward and Elizabeth Anthony Masen.

"No, that wouldn't stop me if I could make myself leave." Would leaving the family be his problem? It was the only tie I could think of. There was nothing significant about this place, really – though the hospital workers were surprisingly ignorant of their sense of danger around me, which I found interesting but comforting.

"We will come with you, of course, if that's what you need," I offered. "You only have to ask. You've moved on without complaint for the rest of them. They won't begrudge you this."

He raised an eyebrow quizzically, and I had to laugh.

"Yes, Rosalie might, but she owes you," I said. The humour drained from my voice as I again recalled Rosalie storming into the house after her vengeance-fuelled killing spree with nothing more than a belt in her hands. When I emerged from my study and started at her golden eyes, she flung the belt at me and hissed that she hadn't spilt a drop. The men Rosalie murdered had done her a terrible wrong: I could understand her desire for revenge, if not appreciate or rejoice in it. Bella Swan was different, though. An innocent girl: ultimate cruelty. "Anyway, it's much better for us to leave now, no harm done, than for us to leave later, after a life has been ended." Edward flinched.

"Yes," he agreed hoarsely.

_But you're not leaving? _Didn't he know what this could mean? Of course he did.

"I should," he admitted.

"What holds you here, Edward?" Was there something I had missed in recalling his ties to this place? "I'm failing to see…"

"I don't know if I can explain," Edward said, his face contorted slightly, uncomfortable.

_No, I do not see…but I will respect your privacy, if you prefer. _I offered.

"Thank you," he said, the uncomfortable expression having only slightly improved. "It's generous of you, seeing as how I give privacy to no one." Apparently Edward's guilty conscience had also survived his time away, but I didn't want to dwell on the morbid aspects of our conversation any longer.

_We all have our quirks, _I brushed off his guilt, as he so often did mine. Suddenly, I became aware of the scent of a herd of deer up ahead. _Shall we? _I invited. Deer was not a particularly enthralling scent, and with the apparently delicious scent of the Swan girl's blood still under his nose, I doubted it would excite Edward much, but it was better than nothing.

"Let's," Edward said. We both crouched and crept silently forward, transforming immediately into the predators we were.

We returned home early the next morning to a scene from a painting; everything glistened with frost in the gentle peace of the morning. But the mind of the boy beside me was anything but peaceful; Edward was still just as conflicted as he had been when we left, if not more. I headed inside to change for my early shift, leaving Edward by the river to sort out his choices. I prayed with all my heart he would make the right choice…but what was that, really?

"How's Edward?" Esme asked, waiting for me downstairs with my jacket and tie. I had reminded her countless times that I didn't expect her to wait on me like this, but she still insisted on it. On occasion, she pointed out that it was better she finish dressing me than Alice, humouring us both with the mental images of me turning up to work in an array of costumes. Today was not one of those days.

"He's…thinking…" I replied, trying to twist the truth just enough to spare Esme any worry. She tossed the tie around my neck and her hands flew around the knot.

"About what?" she asked. "He's not leaving again, is he?" I broke away from her hopeful face, unable to watch it sink back into despair.

"Oh," Esme said.

"I'm not sure what he's doing," I clarified, "but it is a possibility."

"It is the right thing, isn't it?" she asked, my coat still hanging off her fingers. "You know you don't have to do this," I said, changing the subject to avoid admitting my doubts.

"I want to," Esme insisted, looking at me strangely: we hadn't discussed this for over two decades. I held an arm out so she could put the coat sleeve over it and found myself smiling at my ridiculously kind wife.

"Just because we met when this was normal…and I mean, after Charles…I don't want you to feel obligated, darling. You don't have to do anything to make my life easier: your being in it accomplishes that."

Esme smiled slyly, letting me know that she knew that I hadn't fooled her; she was merely letting me get out of the conversation. Meticulous as she was, she fixed my collar, adjusted my tie, and stood on her toes to kiss me.

"I want to," she repeated, encouraging me towards the door and pressing my bag into my hands. "Now go save people."


	4. The Almost Accident

**AN ~ yes, you lucky people are getting 2 chaps in one day! (Don't get used to it.) I just figured, while I was here, I'd post this one too. It is longer than most others, and was originally written in two parts. **

**Disclaimer: Twilight, Midnight Sun = not mine.**

Chapter Four: The Almost Accident

Carlisle:

It was, once again, a fairly uneventful morning at Forks hospital. And it was, once again, Edward who threw the morning into the tumultuous mix that had been the last few days. I had heard ambulance sirens, and was waiting for someone to fetch me, pretending to study a set of X-rays, when heard his familiar footsteps. He was almost running. I wondered what the panic was, and looked up to find a horrified face. I jumped to my feet, and felt a chill run through my icy flesh to my steel bones. I think I dropped a few shades, too.

_Edward- you didn't- _the thoughts could hardly form in my head. As ready as I had been to accept it a week ago, I was not prepared for this. Not Edward: it just couldn't be.

"No, no, it's not that," he assured me quickly. I took a deep breath, and what little colour I had returned.

_Of course not. I'm sorry I entertained the thought. Your eyes, of course, I should have known…_His eyes were still gold; I should have looked for that first. I can't believe I doubted it; doubted him.

"She's hurt though, Carlisle," Edward said. "Probably not seriously but-"

"What happened?"

"A stupid car accident," he muttered. "She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I couldn't just stand there- let it crush her-" Still recovering the use of my tongue, I cut off his panicked explanations with my mind.

_Start over, I don't understand. How were you involved?_

"A van skidded across the ice," he whispered, looking past me with his concerned eyes. "She was in the way. Alice saw it coming, but there wasn't really time to do anything but really _run _across the lot and shove her out of the way." I remembered to make myself blink after a moment of staring. "No one noticed…except for her," Edward assured me. "I had to stop the van, too, but again, nobody saw that besides her." Blink. Inhale. My automatic instructions started up again when I realised that, with a little work, we could again patch up any holes the incident had exposed.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Carlisle…" Edward muttered, a crease of concern between his eyebrows. "I didn't mean to put us in danger." I came around my desk and put a hand on Edward's shoulder.

_You did the right thing. And it couldn't have been easy for you. I'm proud of you, Edward__._ I had always known Edward had it in him to make a difficult choice. I hoped the rest of the family would not reprimand him too much - after all, it was going to be okay. We could fix this.

Edward found himself unable to meet my eyes…again feeling guilty.

"She knows there's something…wrong with me," he added.  
_Oh._ Well, if suspicions leaked, we could always leave. But I still clung to the hope that I could fix this.

"That doesn't matter," I told him, trying to instill the same hopes I felt. "If we have to leave, we leave. What has she said?"

"Nothing yet," Edward replied, with an irritated shake of his head.

_Yet?_

"She agreed to my version of events, but she's expecting an explanation." I frowned, wondering how I could make this girl, who was apparently more perceptive than most, forget about the bizarre event that had taken place in the high school car park today. Or perhaps better; convince her that it was a delusion, so that if it cropped up in later discussion, she would dismiss it rather than try to recall it.

"She hit her head," Edward offered. "Well, I did that; I knocked her to the ground fairly hard. She seems fine, but…I don't think it will take much to discredit her account."

_Perhaps that won't be necessary. Let's see what happens, shall we? _I only now realised just how curious I was to meet the object of Edward's distraction. _It sounds like I have a patient to check on._

"Please," Edward replied. "I'm so worried that I hurt her."

He had saved her life, and _now _he worried about the damage he might have done - why, yesterday he would have enjoyed killing the girl, at least while it lasted. This drastic change made me laugh: he had transformed from killer to protector in a matter of seconds. It was ironic, really.

As I reached up to smooth my hair, covering up the evidence of the shock I had received when Edward burst in, Edward started to laugh. His laugh was not as free as mine though: he still felt like a danger to the Swan girl despite this morning's rescue. I suppose it was to be expected, though I wished he would lighten up on himself.

I entered the ER quietly, hovering in the background and trusting the diagnoses by the attending nurses. I knew this made Edward uncomfortable – he would much rather I looked at the girl myself – but she was already so close to talking again I feared a look at me might bring some inconvenient topics to discussion. Edward had already opted to stay in my office to avoid this, and the girl was fine anyway; only a little shaken.

"So…" the boy, Tyler, interrupted the silence. "How'd you get out of the way?" I stood over by the sink, staring at the wall, and waited for a reply.

"Um…Edward pulled me out of the way," the reply came. "Edward Cullen. He was standing right next to me."

I let out the breath I had been holding.

"Cullen? I didn't see him." Oh, dear…I had a feeling this was going to happen…perhaps I should intervene after all…I turned and started towards them, but then Tyler spoke again.

"Wow, it was all so fast, I guess. Is he okay?" I thought of Edward, pacing anxiously in my office: he was definitely not okay, though he never had a chance of being injured by the van.

"I think so. He's here somewhere, but they didn't make him use a stretcher." Her eyes narrowed slightly with suspicion, but the look on the boy's face didn't change. He probably hadn't noticed. Immensely relieved, I shuffled through a draw of prescriptions, pretending to be searching for something. After a few moments, a nurse entered the room.

"Isabella Swan?" she inquired, looking around.

"It's Bella," the girl muttered under her breath as she got to her feet.

"Follow me, please. Have you ever had an X-ray before?" The nurse started instructing Bella about X-rays and radiation vests as they left the room, headed for Radiology. I grabbed a few prescription sheets, my alibi, and tucked them into my pocket, then waited a few seconds after the nurse to leave the room.

Rounding the corner to the radiology room, I saw the nurse leading Bella back to the ER. I ducked down a side hallway for a moment, and continued to the radiology room when they had passed. I hovered for a moment in the hall between the X-ray studio and the radiology waiting room, greeting a few of the orderlies as they bustled around. I found Edward amongst the various faces, looking distinctly relieved.

_You look better, _I commented, moving toward him. No doubt he had already snuck a look at the X-rays. He looked straight ahead, keeping up appearances as humans continued to bustle around us: I hadn't made any sound or gesture to make him notice me, as far as those around us could tell. I put the girl's scans up on the light board, and my conclusion was again confirmed. No damage had been done.

_Ah yes, I see. She's completely fine. Well done, Edward._ I didn't even allow myself to imagine the bloody mess I'd be cleaning up if he hadn't risked saving her.

"I think I'm going to go talk to her – before she sees you," Edward muttered, so that only I could hear. "Act natural, like nothing happened. Smooth it over." Act like nothing happened…smooth over the doubts and suspicions. _Or just make it worse_, my mind reluctantly added. Hoping for the best - not a ridiculous ask, in this case, given Edward's power with words - I nodded, purposefully making myself appear absent as I pretended to be absorbed in the X-ray images.

"Good idea. Hmmm…" I mused, noticing a collection of scars on the pictures. I laughed to myself as I observed all the healed bumps and scratches in the girl's skull. How many times had her mother dropped her as a child? It was a wonder she managed to maintain an above-average perception of the world we so carefully tried to conceal.

"I'm beginning to think the girl just has really bad luck," Edward commented. "Always in the wrong place at the wrong time."

_Forks is certainly the wrong place for her, with you here. _Edward flinched. I hadn't meant it to come out like that, but he was hearing thoughts, not speech. _Go ahead, _I told him. _Smooth things over. I'll be with you momentarily._

Edward walked away, no doubt searching for the girl in the ER, and I asked the girl's nurse to take over her patient. She agreed happily, handed me the coffee she had just made and danced out the door to meet her girlfriends. Apparently, they had just invited her to the pictures before she was assigned Bella. It was her lunch break anyway; I wondered why they had not asked me in the first place, since I was on duty. On second thought: perhaps, given the girl's perceptiveness, it was a good thing. Oh well; the nurse got her film and I got my patient, so no harm done.

I abandoned the coffee, plucked the X-ray images marked "Swan, Isabella" off the light board and started off down the hallway. Hopefully all was well in Edward's efforts to 'smooth it over.'

"So, what's the verdict?" I heard Edward's voice from the ER. Faintly, I could smell Tyler's blood, but it was clean and his wounds healing.

"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go," Bella replied, irritated. "How come you aren't strapped to a gurney like the rest of us?" I hid a chuckle as I turned the corner. Edward, on a stretcher…a ridiculous notion to all those who knew what he was.

"It's all about who you know," Edward joked, in a tone that suggested he was tapping the side of his nose. "But don't worry, I came to spring you."

_Oh, no you didn't, _I joined the joke as I entered the room, and watched the girl's eyes widen in surprise. Her jaw dropped, and Edward flinched. Yes, she had apparently noticed the family resemblance. But then, how many people could she know with pale skin and gold eyes?

"So, Miss Swan, how are you feeling?" I asked smoothly, pretending I hadn't noticed her shock.

"I'm fine," she said softly, apparently still awed. I clipped the X-rays to the light board beside us, entirely for show: I had memorised them.

"Your X-rays look good. How's your head?" I asked, fishing for excuses I might use to cover up today's events. "Edward said you hit it pretty hard." She sighed, looking as though she was resisting rolling her eyes.

"I'm fine," she repeated impatiently. She glowered at Edward. I smiled softly and stepped closer, running my fingers gently across her scalp until I found the bump I was looking for. Edward tensed slightly, though not enough to be perceived by the human eye; I knew he envied the control I had, the act I could put on so smoothly. The girl winced, and Edward twitched before returning to his relaxed posture.

"Tender?" I inquired, pretending not to have noticed Edward's discomfort.

"Not really," she replied. The suffer-in-silence type; so much harder to diagnose…

Edward chuckled quietly, and the girl shot him another glare.

"Well," I said, interrupting them before something could go wrong. "Your father is in the waiting room. You can go home with him now, but come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all."

"Can't I go back to school?" she asked, trying not to whine.  
"Maybe you should take it easy today," I suggested, trying not to sound pressing, though I wanted to make it clear that school was not an option.

"Does _he_ get to go to school?" she demanded, shooting a glance at Edward, who shrugged.

"Someone has to spread the word that we survived."

"Actually," I remarked, "most of the school appears to be in the waiting room." It was true, though perhaps an exaggeration. Most of the witnesses of the accident were in the waiting room, inquiring after Bella or Tyler every time a nurse or doctor passed. Nobody inquired after Edward; my family hadn't come to the hospital with the others.

"Oh, no," Bella moaned, putting her head in her hands. Being the suffer-in-silence type, she didn't want to call attention to herself. I could understand that: I preferred to keep my pains to myself too.

"Do you want to stay?" I offered, though I already knew the answer.  
"No, no!" she objected, swinging her legs around and sliding to the floor too quickly. She staggered forward, off-balance, and I caught and steadied her without even thinking.

"I'm fine," she said, blushing, before I could speak.

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," I suggested, checking her balance before I let my arms drop. It seemed the peculiar aspects of our presence had been forgotten for the moment.

"It doesn't hurt that bad," she muttered. I couldn't tell if she was lying or not; it was probably an understatement. I smiled as I signed her chart, reminiscing for a moment over my own various understated pains. In a bizarre way, I think I saw myself in the girl – and Edward. It was no wonder sparks seemed to fly between the two. Not that I let Edward in on that little observation. I had grown quite skilled at hiding such things from him over the last few decades, though often I didn't bother.

"It sounds like you were very lucky," I said, still appearing to read her chart as I again imagined the bloody corpse I would have had to examine should Edward have chosen what was, for us, the safer path. Luckily, this too was hidden from Edward.

"Lucky Edward happened to be standing right next to me," she replied, still sounding suspicious.

"Oh, well, yes," I agreed, stumbling. We weren't in the clear yet.

_All yours,_ I told Edward, deciding to quit while I was ahead and try to formulate a plan from what I'd been given. Until I came up with something, Edward was in charge. _Handle it as you think best._

"Thanks so much," Edward muttered sarcastically as I passed. The corners of my lips turned up at his sarcasm as I turned to the boy, Tyler.

There were gashes all up Tyler's arms, no doubt from a window having broken.

"I'm afraid _you'll _have to stay with us just a little bit longer," I said, picking up a piece of gauze and putting it to the boy's wrist. He jumped. I hesitated.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Your hands are cold."

"Oh," I said, scolding myself for having forgotten the gloves. "I can put gloves on if you like."

"No, it doesn't matter," he replied, but he was looking past me, probably trying to eavesdrop on Edward and Bella. He saw that I had noticed and shook the notion away.

"Thank you," I said, as he raised his arm slightly. "Tell me if this hurts, or if you feel hot or faint at all." I knew I would hear the boy's words, but my attention was not on the bandage I was fixing on his arm: I was monitoring Edward. Spending all morning in a hospital wasn't ideal for one's thirst, and given the attractiveness of the girl's blood, there was a lot at risk here. Especially given Edward's moodiness recently. I hated to admit it, but his presence here for so long was beginning to set me on edge.

_Carefully, Edward, _I warned, passing the bandage to my other hand and taking it under Tyler's arm.

"I'd like to speak to you alone, if you don't mind," Bella requested quietly. Edward stalked out of the room, his guilt and conflict beginning to break through the act. Perhaps he was letting it.

"What do you want?" he demanded coldly.

"Um, Dr Cullen?" Tyler inquired. I realised I had stopped wrapping the bandage around his arm. I wondered how long I had been standing there, but apparently Tyler hadn't noticed my hesitation: he just asked for a glass of water.

"Certainly," I replied, leaving the bandage on the bench and walking over to the sink, wondering what in the world my son was attempting to accomplish.

"Bella, you hit your head. You don't know what you're talking about," I heard over the squeak of the faucet.

"There's nothing wrong with my head," Bella replied indignantly.

"What do you want from me, Bella?"

"I want the truth. I want to know why I'm being lied to." I turned the tap off and walked back to Tyler, who thanked me for the water and held his arm out again. He was apparently still anxious about Bella. Judging by the look on his face, he still felt guilty for being the driver of the unfortunate van.

"You think I lifted a van off you," Edward scoffed. "Nobody will believe that, you know."

"I'm not going to tell anybody," Bella said.

"Then why does it matter?" Edward retorted.

"I guess you know Edward was the hero, huh," Tyler remarked, somewhat embarrassed about it, as I fixed the bandage into place.

"Mm," I nodded.

"If he hadn't been there, who knows what would have happened, right? Ha." He tried to be light hearted about it, but neither of us took it as such. I thought for the first time this morning of my family, who were waiting outside: the blood in the hospital offered a huge risk, so they avoided it unless it was absolutely necessary. I contemplated talking to them about the risk Edward had taken, but Rosalie especially was likely to reprimand him for what she saw as a mistake anyway, so I resolved to be there while Edward explained instead and help him out where I could.

Once I had finished with Tyler and made sure the rest of the family was all right to go back to school, I went home early. As expected Esme was waiting.

"Carlisle!" she gasped. "The school called: a van accident…Bella nearly got hit!" I smiled at my wife's use of the girl's nickname.  
"I know," I informed her. "She's totally fine. Edward got in the way."

"Oh dear," she said. She was not worried for her son's wellbeing – a van wouldn't even leave a scratch – but rather for the driver and for our secret.

"Don't worry, dear. Emmett fixed the van, and the boy is spending the night in hospital. Bella was not injured at all; not even mild concussion." She smiled, her anxiety having passed, and took my bag from me.

"What's she like?" Esme asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Bella? She's…unusually perceptive, and very smart, but she prefers to suffer in silence."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Esme mused, kissing my cheek.


	5. Difficult Decisions

**AN ~ another long chapter for you guys, enjoy! Special thanks to skylarkz, Just4Me and TwilightLover-CarlisleandEsme for their reviews - they made me smile (like the sun...oh great now that song's in my head. oh well I like it)**

**Disclaimer: Twilight + Midnight Sun are not mine :(**

Chapter Five: Difficult Decisions

Carlisle:

I heard the cars coming up the street, announcing the others returning from school, and gripped Esme's hand tightly.

"Are you ready?" I asked, trying to guess at how best to prepare for the onslaught of emotions and opinions we would no doubt have to face.

"No," she fretted. "I don't know what to do, what to say." A difficult choice was ahead of us; so many options, and so many chances for a fight to break out.  
"Don't worry, sweetheart," I whispered, guiding her into the dining room for the family meeting. "We'll think of something."

I sat at the head of the table and Esme right beside me, watching everyone else as they filed in; all tense, all absolutely silent.

Edward was the first to enter: pained and brooding. When Esme's eyes met his, she matched his agony. She could immediately tell what he was considering - I could see the plea for the opposite in her eyes. _Stay. _Edward looked away hurriedly and pulled out the chair on my other side.

I tried not to be too accusatory in my thoughts as Esme's mournful eyes, left unassured, tracked Edward's every move. I often wondered what kind of son Esme would have raised if they both had lived: a good one, no doubt – if she could manage five invulnerable teenagers there was not much left for her to face. Except, of course, when some of those invulnerable teenagers were bent on committing murder to save the family and another worried he might accidentally commit the same murder and destroy the family. Such conflict within her beloved family: it was tearing Esme apart.

Observing the others as they entered, I pursed my lips; this was clearly a more serious affair than even I had anticipated. Rosalie sat opposite me, glaring at Edward without even acknowledging Esme and I. Emmett sat beside her, in rare silence. When Jasper entered the room, he hesitated, and then joined Rosalie. Alice came in last, eyes hazy as she searched through a future that was unclear. She sat next to Esme and rubbed her head as if in pain. Jasper was immediately concerned, but he kept his place beside Rosalie. Esme had to shut her eyes for a moment; she couldn't bear to see her family so firmly divided. It was getting more and more difficult for me, too. _What is this going to do to us?_

"I'm sorry," Edward said, after a moment of bitter silence. "I didn't mean to put any of you at risk. It was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility."

_Thoughtless? You were saving someone's life! _The thought slipped out from behind my shield, which I used to try and avoid showing my biases in this conversation – as if my position at the table had not already done that.

"What do you mean 'take full responsibility'? Are you going to fix it?" Rosalie demanded.

_Fix it…_kill Bella Swan before she had a chance to arouse suspicions.

"Not the way you mean," Edward said, keeping his voice calm but not without effort. "I'm willing to leave now, if that makes things better."

"No. No Edward." Esme shook her head over and over. Her voice was choked up again, with worry and fear.

"It's just a few years," Edward assured her, stroking her hand. How could he seriously be contemplating leaving again so soon? And for a few _years? _It was not my place to instruct Edward as to when he was or wasn't allowed to leave the house, but still...

"Esme's right though," Emmett pointed out. "You can't go anywhere now. That would be the _opposite _of helpful. We have to know what people are thinking, now more than ever." That couldn't have been further from what Esme was thinking, but it was a fair point.

"Alice will catch anything major," Edward disagreed. I fought hard to keep all my emotional, biased thoughts locked away: in my head, I was both on my knees begging Edward to stay and chasing him out of town myself. I allowed only the reasons, the logic, to get to me now. Carefully, I said:

"I think Emmett is right, Edward. The girl will be more likely to talk if you leave. It's all of us leave, or none of us."

"She won't say anything," Edward said quickly, having noticed Rosalie fuming at the other end of the table, ready to explode.

"You don't know her mind," I reminded Edward. From what I had heard at the hospital, Bella was very likely to do some investigating of her own, which could end up revealing more about us to the world than even she had intended.

"I know this much," Edward insisted. "Alice, back me up." My youngest daughter looked up wearily, and my heart sunk.

"I can't see what will happen if we just ignore this," she said, looking at Rosalie and Jasper. The way they were decided, ignoring the incident was not an option.

Suddenly, Rosalie slapped her hand down on the table.

"We can't allow the human a chance to say anything. Carlisle, you must see that. Even if we all decided to disappear, it's not safe to leave stories behind us. We live so differently from the rest of our kind – you know there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers. We have to be more careful than anyone else!" This was one of Rosalie's favourite points to blackmail me with – the fact that my choice made life so much harder for everyone else in the family – but I had to admit that it was true by all accounts. The famously controlled, clever Cullens, slipping up and blowing the secrets of our kind over one measly human: we would certainly get ourselves destroyed.

"We've left rumours behind us before," Edward pointed out.

"Just rumours and suspicions, Edward, not eyewitnesses and evidence!" Rosalie retorted.

"Evidence!" Edward scoffed.

"Oh, don't," Esme squeaked quietly.

"Rose-" I tried to interrupt.

"Let me finish, Carlisle," she stopped me before another word passed my lips. "It doesn't have to be any big production. The girl hit her head today. So maybe that injury turns out to be more serious than it looked. Every mortal goes to sleep with the chance of not waking up again." Rosalie shrugged, and I was suddenly filled with disbelief and rage. I tried not to be too hard on her, but there was no way I would consider that. For one thing, it still involved killing the girl, and for another I would have to rig the whole act. I would have to be the one who had consoled Charlie and_ I_ – and I alone – would have to bear the blame for the girl's death. I was the one who had dismissed her from the hospital.

"The others would expect us to clean up after ourselves," Rosalie continued. I looked into her cold eyes, but saw not the slightest pinprick of doubt in her decision. "Technically, that would make it Edward's job, but this is obviously beyond him. You know I'm capable of control. I would leave no evidence behind me." I swallowed a shudder, feeling weak all of a sudden as I recalled the newspapers documenting Rosalie's kills. She hadn't spilt a drop of blood, but I knew the names of the men she'd hunted. My eyes dropped. I still hate having allowed those murders, despite what those men did.

"Yes, Rosalie, we all know how proficient an assassin you are," Edward snarled. She hissed.

"Edward, please," I interrupted, before turning to Rosalie: the last thing we needed was a fight. "Rosalie, I looked the other way in Rochester because I felt that you were owed your justice." The words would hardly come out of my throat. "The men you killed had wronged you monstrously. This is not the same situation. The Swan girl is innocent." _Not that it matters if the Volturi catch onto this mess…_I shoved the thought behind the shield, forcing myself to focus on the problem at hand.

"It's not personal, Carlisle," Rosalie explained, as if that would effect my opinion. "It's to protect us all." Esme snuck her other hand onto the table and put it over mine, which I realised was now shaking. I nodded, and Rosalie's eyes lit up. I wasn't sorry I had to disappoint her.

"I know you mean well, Rosalie," I explained, "but…I'd like very much for our family to be _worth _protecting." Jasper looked away, and Esme's hands slid away from mine. "The occasional…accident or lapse in control is a regrettable part of who we are. To murder a blameless child in cold blood is another thing entirely. I believe the risk she presents, whether she speaks her suspicions or not, is nothing to the greater risk. If we make exceptions to protect ourselves, we risk losing something much more important. We risk losing the essence of who we are."

"It's just being responsible." Rosalie scowled.

"It's being callous," I corrected gently. "Every life is precious." Rosalie sighed and pouted, and Emmett patted her shoulder.

"It'll be fine, Rose," he encouraged in a low voice.

"The question is whether we should move on," I continued.

"No," Rosalie moaned. "We just got settled. I don't want to start on my sophomore year in high school again!" I had never experienced it myself, but Jasper had demonstrated some idea of the mind-numbing boredom they experienced at high school, having already learnt the entire program a hundred times over.

"You could keep your present age, of course," I offered. They were sick of having to graduate over and over, but dropping out over and over was worse.

"And have to move again that much sooner?" Another good point: the younger we started out in a new place, the longer we got to stay. Stretching our physical ages to the believability limits was a risk we had to take to even be able to live in human society. I shrugged. If we had to move quickly, then so be it: the girl would live. That was the objective here.

Rosalie finally seemed to accept my decision, though she was still seething with anger. Jasper remained decided. His years on various front lines before he had met Alice had ensured that he knew very strongly the punishment for breaking the law. He had seen it with his own eyes, sometimes even delivered it.

"Jasper," Edward said, "she won't pay for my mistake. I won't allow that."

"She benefits from it then?" Jasper retorted. "She should have died today, Edward: I would only set that right." Those images flashed through my head; the blood-spattered van, the Swan girl's bloody corpse lying in the high school car park as her heartbeat faded into nonexistence. What might have been.

"I won't allow it." Edward repeated flatly. Jasper looked surprised, then shook his head.

"I won't let Alice live in danger, even a slight danger. You don't feel about anyone the way I feel about her, Edward, and you haven't lived through what I've lived through, whether you've seen my memories or not. You don't understand."

"Oh, Jasper," Esme whispered sadly, as she often did at references to his past. I put my hand back under hers, and she smiled briefly.

"I'm not disputing that, Jasper," Edward said, "but I'm telling you know: I won't allow you to hurt Isabella Swan." They gazed at each other now, measuring each other up.

"Jazz," Alice interrupted, snapping them both out of it.

"Don't bother telling me you can protect yourself, Alice," Jasper said. "I already know that. I've still got to-" Alice cut him off.

"That's not what I was going to say. I was going to ask you for a favour."

Esme shifted to the front of her seat, insanely worried and yet curious to see where this was going.

"I know you love me," Alice continued. "Thanks. But I would really appreciate it if you didn't try to kill Bella." It was just like Alice to speak so simply in amongst the pressured arguments. "First of all, Edward's serious and I don't want you two fighting. Secondly, she's my friend. At least, she's _going _to be." _She's human, Alice; not friend material, _Rosalie had said. _She must be worthy to be someone's friend, _came Alice's reply.

"But…Alice…" Jasper choked helplessly.

"I'm going to love her some day, Jazz. I'll be very put out with you if you don't let her be." She paused for a moment, and her eyes clouded over. "Ah," she sighed. "Bella's not going to say anything. There's nothing to worry about." Esme let out a deep breath.

"Alice…what…does this..?" Edward choked: clearly we were missing something.

"I told you there was a change coming. I don't know, Edward." She locked her jaw, determined not to say anything more.

"What, Alice? What are you hiding?" Edward pressed. Emmett grumbled: the conversations between Edward and Alice were quite boring to most outsiders. I found them fascinating.

"Is it about the girl?" Edward demanded, growing urgent. "Is it about Bella?" I froze, remembering our conversation the day Edward left.

But I did see…she's not one of us, but she will be…

Oh, no.

"NO!" Edward bellowed, jumping to his feet.

"Edward!" I cried. I was up a split second later, my hand on his shoulder. He ignored me, all attention on Alice.

"It's solidifying," Alice whispered. "Every minute, you're more decided. There are really only two ways left for her. It's one or the other, Edward."

"No," Edward breathed, bracing himself against the table so he wouldn't fall.

"Will somebody _please _let the rest of us in on the rest of the mystery?" Emmett asked exasperatedly.

"I have to leave," Edward whispered.

"Edward, we've already been over that," Emmett said. "That's the best way to start the girl talking. Besides, if you take off, we won't know for sure if she's talking or not. You have to stay and deal with this."

My hand slipped off Edward's shoulder and fell back to Esme's shaking one. She put on a brave face, but she was as broken up as the family was.

"I don't see you going anywhere, Edward," Alice said. "I don't think you _can _leave any more."

After a moment of silence, Edward spoke.

"I don't hear that." A moment later; he groaned. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Jasper grew uncertain. Esme grew more worried. Emmett leant back on his chair and put his feet up on the table, and Esme didn't stop him. She could barely see him any more: Edward was the one in trouble.

"Love her _too? _No." Edward replied to more of Alice's thoughts. "I don't have to follow that course. I'll leave. I _will _change the future."

"You can try," Alice replied.

"Oh, _come on!" _Emmett bellowed, swinging his legs back to the floor.

"Pay attention," Rosalie hissed at him. "Alice sees him falling for a _human! _How classically Edward." She crinkled her nose and made a sound of disgust.

"What?" Emmett was startled. "Is _that _what's been going on? Tough break, Edward," he said, between bouts of laughter.

"_Fall _for a human?" Esme repeated, stunned. "For the girl he saved today? Fall in _love _with her?" Her back straightened, and her face immediately lightened. _Maybe Bella is his match, _she had said. A whisper of a smile crept onto my face.

"What do you see, Alice? Exactly," Jasper demanded.

"It all depends on whether he's strong enough or not," Alice explained simply. Edward glared. "Either he'll kill her himself – which would _really _irritate me, Edward, not to mention what it would do to you," Alice shot a glare back at Edward, "or she'll be one of us some day."

Esme gasped. _I just want my son to have what we have…maybe Bella is his match…_

Suddenly, I saw the deeper meaning behind her question earlier.

What's she like?

_She's…unusually perceptive, and very smart, but she prefers to suffer in silence._

_Sounds like someone else I know._

I had thought she been assimilating Bella to me, but she had meant Edward. It suddenly made so much sense.

"That's not going to happen! Either one!" Edward shouted.

"It all depends," Alice said, ignoring him. "He may just be strong enough not to kill her, but it will be close. "It will take an amazing amount of control – more even than Carlisle has. He may _just _be strong enough…The only thing he's not strong enough to do is stay away from her. That's a lost cause."

The room fell silent as everyone tried to figure out what to say.

"Well this…complicates things," I remarked at last.

"I'll say," Emmett agreed.

"I suppose the plan remains the same though," I continued. "We'll stay, and watch…obviously, no one will hurt the girl…"

Edward stiffened, but Jasper complied.

"No. I can agree to that. If Alice sees only two ways-"

"No! No!" Edward exclaimed, somewhere between a shout, a growl and a desperate cry. Edward looked around, examining his expression. Everyone settled back into their own private worlds and waited. Esme's joy radiated from her, barely tarnished by the seriousness of the conversation we had just had. She just wanted Edward to have what we have; to love and protect them and know you were loved and protected, in a way far more intimate than even the tightest of family bonds. I wanted Edward to do the right thing, but even I was not sure what that was. Edward had do decide that. 

Finally, silently, he turned and stalked out of the room. Esme reached out and touched his arm reassuringly, but he let it drop and kept walking, stone-faced. Esme's posture collapsed.

"I so hoped this was going to work," she said quietly.


	6. The New Song

**AN ~ Wow! I am flattered by the favouriting/subscribing/reviewing guys, thank you all sooooo much! This chapter is just a little bit fluffy, so enjoy. I will be posting chapter 7 later today I hope.**

**Disclaimer ~ especially in this chapter I had help from Midnight Sun (sadly not mine) and I have made particular effort to adhere to every little bump in the road of the Twilight Saga (also, unfortunately, not mine!)**

Chapter Six: The New Song

Esme:  
No decision was announced after Edward's departure, but the meeting seemed to draw itself to a close. We all knew we had to stay; though he tried to deny it, Edward's heart was too powerfully attached to this girl.

While we tried to find the right path, Edward went through nearly two weeks more of lifelessness. He blamed himself for the predicament we now found ourselves in. He wanted to leave because of this, but he made himself stay. I know he stayed for our sakes, and I was glad of it, but he could only do so much. It was so hard to watch him like this.

Suddenly, one day, everything changed. The children left for school as per usual, but I didn't see Edward that afternoon. According to the others, he was hunting. I started to wonder when he stayed out all night, only arriving the next morning, once the others had already left.

There was a new look about him this morning. A glint in his eye I recognised from the way Carlisle looked at me. A smile crept onto my lips; he'd finally realised the feelings we had all known of. The powerful connection to Bella. The reason we were still in this town.

My son is in _love._

He is finally going to feel _this_.

But not until something was determined about the girl's fate. Death or changing didn't offer much of a choice for him or for Carlisle. I'd change the girl myself, but I would almost certainly lose control and kill her. Not to mention, Edward would wholeheartedly object. He'd probably fight me for her. I didn't want that to happen; the family was already so terribly precarious. There had to be a way for my son to feel like this without the pain and torment he burdened himself with, but I couldn't think of one, so I let him avoid my gaze as he dressed, and spent the rest of the day in quiet hope.

Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper arrived home first, and informed me that Alice and Edward had gone to the Swans' house to return Bella's truck. Rosalie told me with a roll of her eyes that Bella had fainted in Biology and Edward had driven her home. I couldn't help smiling: it sounded like something out of a Jane Austen novel. Edward had always been such a gentleman.

A few minutes later, Alice and Edward arrived home. I was absorbed in my planning - trying to fit another cabinet into Carlisle's study for his huge collection of antiques - so I barely noticed. I was humming with happiness over the life that had returned to my son, and that everything was starting to work again. The frightening accident two weeks ago seemed to be drifting into history, and Edward was happier for it. What was not to love about today?

Suddenly, it got better: I heard a sound I was beginning to wonder I would ever hear again.

The piano.

_Edward's playing again! _I thought happily, as if I were shouting it from the rooftops. I was filled with such joy that I immediately abandoned the blueprints and flitted over to the stairs. The music was beautiful, second only to the song Edward had composed for Carlisle and I. I sat on the top step, resting my head on the banister, and let the notes flow through me. _A new song. It's been so long. What a lovely tune…_

My eyes drifted shut, enjoying the peaceful music. Suddenly, the tune cut off. Edward gave a sharp bark of amusement, and I jumped to my feet, eyes flying open. Rosalie was glaring at Edward with as much fury as I have ever seen her possess, and Edward had a hand over his mouth, stifling laughter. I was downstairs in a moment, standing between them, waiting to stop a fight. There was nothing but silence for a long, tense moment, and finally I broke it.

"Don't stop, Edward," I encouraged. A grin spread across his face, though he tried to hide it, and a very embarrassed, very angry Rosalie stalked out of the lounge.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Emmett called after her from his position at the back of an adapted version of chess that he was playing with Jasper. Rosalie didn't react: she stormed out to the garage, fuming, and hid herself under her car.

"What's that about?" Emmett asked, turning to Edward.

"I don't have the faintest idea," Edward replied, his hands hovering above the keys. I had a feeling he was lying, but since it was not serious I let it slip. Those two were always getting on each others' nerves. Besides, I was enjoying this new piece.

"Keep playing," I encouraged. He put his fingers back to the keys and continued, and I put my hands on his shoulders, lost in the song. He tried to work a bridge, but he kept going back and playing it again, changing it, fixing it.

"It's charming," I commented, not wanting him to lose heart in the beautiful piece. "Does it have a name?"

"Not yet," Edward replied.

"Is there a story to it?"

"It's…a lullaby, I suppose," was all he said. His hands continued to work the keys, and this time he found what he was looking for. The song flowed on, but he was no longer looking at the keys. He was seeing something else…Bella. I smiled.

Alice came over then, and sat beside Edward. She started singing – almost humming, really – over Edward's playing.

"I like it," he remarked, "but how about this?" His fingers effortlessly twisted her melody into the piece, and the song again evolved. Alice listened for a while, then started singing along.

"Yes, perfect," Edward confirmed. I thought I might just explode with happiness. I squeezed Edward's shoulder, glad he had decided to play again. The song was coming to an end now; it became sadder, and Alice's voice became lower and more solemn. But it was still an incredibly beautiful piece. Bella Swan, the girl who had brought life to the piece and to my son, deserved every single note.

_It's going to be fine, Edward, _I told him, not wanting to interrupt the silence that had fallen over the house, because now it was a peaceful silence. _This is going to work out for the best. You deserve happiness, my son. Fate owes you that._

I had given up believing in God for many years of my human life – things can only get so bad before you start to believe you've been forgotten by those who are supposed to offer retribution - but I had never stopped believing in fate. I had just believed I was destined to live out the rest of my days in pain and misery. When Carlisle saved me, I realised fate had offered me a new chance. She was offering Edward a chance now, a rare chance among our kind, and I willed him to take it.

"Thanks," Edward whispered, though he sounded regretful. He didn't believe me. But he would, eventually, when he realised the true meaning of love.

_Love doesn't always come in convenient packages, _I reminded him, remembering all I had had to go through to meet Carlisle. He laughed dryly.

_You, out of everyone on this planet, are perhaps best equipped to deal with such a difficult quandary, _I encouraged. _You are the best and brightest of us all._

Edward sighed, but despite all that troubled him, he was glad I was happy.

_She'll have to love you back, _I reminded him, smiling confidently to myself. _If she's a smart girl _– which, apparently, she was. _But I can't imagine anyone being so slow they wouldn't see the catch __you __are…_

"Stop it, Mom, you're making me blush," Edward teased. Alice leant over and started playing the top hand of 'Heart & Soul,' and Edward accompanied her further down the instrument. When they finished, Edward entertained us with a rendition of 'Chopsticks.' Alice giggled.

"So I wish you'd tell me what you were laughing at Rose about, but I can see that you won't," she said.

"Nope," Edward agreed. Alice flicked his ear, put out.

"Be nice, Alice," I chided her, though I was a little curious myself. "Edward is being a gentleman."

"But I want to _know!" _Alice whined. Edward chuckled, then returned his fingers to the keys.

"Here, Esme," he offered, caressing a familiar tune from the piano. The song he had composed for Carlisle and I. He had named it _Esme's Favourite: _I couldn't think of a more perfect title.

"Thank you, dear," I murmured, already reminiscing.

"Oh! Jasper, guess what?" Alice cried cheerfully, waking me out of my pleasant trance. Edward's hands froze, _Esme's Favourite_ drifting into a silence that twisted it.

"What, Alice?" Jasper inquired.

"Peter and Charlotte are coming to visit next weekend! They're going to be in the neighbourhood, isn't that nice?"

I smiled, glad that Jasper would get to see the old friend of his, but I could feel the tension in my son's shoulders.

"What's wrong, Edward?" I inquired.

"Peter and Charlotte are coming to _Forks?" _he hissed at Alice. Oh.

"Calm down, Edward," Alice shrugged off her brother's concern. "It's not their first visit."

The words hung in the air as though they had been spoken; _but it is the first since Bella arrived_. I had smelt her on Carlisle, and even that had made me thirsty: it was not just Edward her blood appealed to. As pleasant as Jasper's friend and his mate were, they didn't exercise the restraint we did.

"They never hunt here, you know that," Alice replied, seeing the problem.

"When?" Edward demanded. Alice's reply was silent.

"No," he said, but he didn't sound like he was objecting to anything. I wondered what Alice had said. "You ready, Emmett?"

"I thought we were leaving in the morning," Emmett said.

"We're coming back by midnight Sunday. I guess it's to you when you want to leave," Edward delivered the ultimatum. Emmett, not wanting to miss out on the opening of the bear season, had to abandon his chess game.

"Okay, fine," he said. "Just let me say goodbye to Rose first."

"Sure," Edward agreed, sounding a little smug. Then, in response to Emmett's thoughts, said; "I suppose I have."

"Play that new song for me, one more time," I requested, seizing the opportunity. Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out – a bottle cap? I glanced at Alice, but she was just as confused as I was.

Shrugging it away, I let the music drift through me again.


	7. Bella's Close Call

**AN ~ I've done quite a lot of editing ****on this chap to make it seem less of a recount and more of a story. It's pretty long, even though I removed the end and made another chapter with it!**

**The original aim of this story was actually to be a story of Bella and Edward's relationship through Carlisle and Esme's eyes, but as they faded out of the books I had to keep bolstering the story with their private moments and so it became a story about them. I am editing the early chapters to make this more seamless, so forgive me if it takes a little longer than a basic punctuation/spelling edit.**

**Also, thanks to TwilightLover-CarlisleandEsme's wonderful review of my other story, Life is Harder, you guys might be getting THREE chaps today! Man, I spoil you guys!**

**Review pleeeeease :) I spoil you because I love you!**

Chapter Seven: Bella's Close Call

Esme:

Edward became very withdrawn. He'd disappear for long periods of time, never to be found unless he wished it so. I wished he would put a little more faith in Jasper's old friends: they may not adhere to our diet, but they were civilised and respectful about what they did. The golden rule of keeping house was to never offend your guests, so of course Edward's recently tarnished opinion of Peter and Charlotte never passed my lips when I had to explain his coldness and near-constant absence.

"Edward is just concerned," I explained to them as Edward stalked off at two o'clock in the morning on the third day of Peter and Charlotte's stay. "He recently saved a girl's life at school and he's very conflicted over it. He feels he put the family in danger."

This was not the whole truth of course: Edward was also conflicted over his whole relationship with Bella. On top of that, he felt that by allowing us to stay - or at least, not putting up a decent defense to the suggestion - he was personally responsible for encouraging our non-vegetarian friends to stay in the area rather than just pass on through.

For most of Peter and Charlotte's visit, Edward stayed away from the house. He became more and more anxious about Bella as the days wore on, and as his anxiety grew, so did mine. I hid my troubles from Carlisle, and though my worried husband often inquired as to what was wrong, he never pressed me for information. I wanted Edward to act like the responsible young man he was and either solve his problems or ask for assistance. He knew Carlisle and I were here if he didn't feel comfortable going to one of his siblings about it. Yet he insisted on cold silence. It was frustrating...and worrying.

...

Finally, near the end of Peter and Charlotte's visit, Edward came home and headed straight for the piano. His face was somewhere between panic, envy, anger and guilt. Bella, again. I frowned. I hate to see him suffering so much, even knowing he could seek help at any time.

Edward started playing, but his music no longer resembled the peaceful tones of last week: Bella's lullaby was replaced by angry, swarming notes. I had never seen him treat a piano so brutally before...except perhaps when he stormed out on Carlisle and I all those years ago. No, not even then.

"You were saying?" Charlotte prodded, glancing between me and Edward.

"Oh, yes...sorry..." I shook it off and continued what I had been saying before: Peter and Charlotte had been looking to build a place to settle down, only for a year or so of course, and they were asking me for suggestions on materials. Of course I had been all too happy to help. They were just about to leave, so I had to make it quick, but design problems were easy to solve...not at all like solving the mystery of my son's complex but brilliant mind.

"If you see Maria again, tell her I wish her well," Jasper said, walking his friends towards the door. Peter laughed: Maria was the vampire who had turned them both. Theirs were tragic stories...but unshakable relationships had formed, and for that we were all glad.

"I don't imagine that will happen soon," Peter said, clearly planning to avoid Maria wherever and whenever possible. "But, should it happen, I certainly will."

They shook hands, and Edward hastily stood up, abandoning his song.

"Charlotte, Peter," he said, nodding his head to each of them.

"It was nice to see you again, Edward," Charlotte said, though she had hardly seen him the whole visit. Peter nodded curtly and soon enough the nomads were on their way. As soon as they were out of sight, Edward left: he got into his car and disappeared before I could say a word.

"He's coming back," Alice assured me. "Bella's going to Port Angeles with some friends…he's just helicopter-boyfriending," she joked. Rosalie and Emmett snickered.

...

Carlisle:

"Carlisle's in his study," I heard Alice's voice from downstairs.

"Thank you," Edward replied. He shuffled in his pocket for a moment and then added: "Oh, sorry. I didn't even check to see who it was. I was…busy."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, too. By the time I saw what was going to happen, you were already on your way."

"It was close."

I looked up from the pages before me, surprised. What had happened in Port Angeles that Edward needed to seek my help over? He wouldn't have attacked anyone, surely…though he may have been neglecting his hunting. I had never taken the time to check. And with all that time away recently, I guess I'd just assumed...

No. Edward was a clever young man. He wouldn't let such things as absent-mindedness and rushing to be in Bella's presence cause himself to be a risk to the girl's safety. Then again, I would risk a lot to be with Esme…with my inexperienced heart I had risked destroying her so that I could build our relationship. Luckily, that was a gamble for the best: at the time, I hadn't really thought about what might have happened had I backed out at any point. Love does strange things to a person; sometimes it makes them blind. Perhaps that was what Edward needed my help with. I wondered how I could possibly put it into words.

Suddenly, I recalled Alice's vision earlier that evening. It had sent Esme and Rosalie into panic, sparked a furious protective instinct that was only soothed by the knowledge that Edward had arrived in time to prevent the horrific event. No doubt _that _was what Edward was coming to me about. I grimaced, and discarded my book immediately, turning to face the door.

Surprise was evident on Edward's face when he found me waiting.

"I heard Alice tell you where to find me," I said by way of explanation, and smiled.

"I need help," he said.

"Anything, Edward."

"Did Alice tell you what happened to Bella tonight?"

_Almost happened, _I reminded him, just as relieved as he was that it had only been 'almost.' I had treated my share of rape victims and a disturbing number of them wound up on methamphetamine, found themselves in psychiatric wards or worse...

"Yes, almost," Edward corrected himself as though it didn't matter. "I've got a dilemma, Carlisle. You see…I want…very much…to kill him…so much..."

I drew a deep breath as Edward's words came blurting out: thick, fast and passionate.

"I know that it would be wrong, because it would be vengeance, not justice. All anger, no impartiality. Still, if can't be right to leave a serial rapist and killer wandering Port Angeles! I don't know the humans there, but I can't let someone else take Bella's place as his victim! Those other women – someone might feel about them the way I feel about Bella. Might suffer what I would have suffered if she had been harmed. It's not right-"

_She's very good for you, isn't she? _I smiled, catching Edward off-guard. Edward saw my expression and dropped off, staring. He remained frozen, arms poised in their gesture, staring like I was a madman as I smiled casually back at him. Truly, I was impressed. And I was beginning to realise Edward and Bella's love story may not be as tragic as Esme feared. She didn't tell me her concerns, but I knew her too well.

"I'm not looking for compliments, Carlisle," Edward reprimanded.

"Of course not," I agreed, recovering my solemn expression. "But I can't help my thoughts, can I?" The smile returned, though smaller, which was considerably more appropriate. "I'll take care of it," I assured Edward. "You can rest easy. No one else will be harmed in Bella's place."

...

_Knock him out…take him out of the state…leave him where someone will find him…_I repeated the plan over and over to myself: I knew this was the right thing to do. Some part of me, some inconsequential part, was screaming at me to kill the monstrous man. Images flashed through my head of what had happened to Esme all those years ago. That, more than anything, made me sure I wanted to pick up my medical supplies. As much as Edward would have enjoyed the far simpler methods of cracking the man's skull or pinching a nerve to render him unconscious, neither of us would manage it without killing him.

_What men like that did to Rosalie left her dying, _the voice at the back of my head hissed. I had grown quite good at hiding my thoughts over the years, so thankfully, Edward couldn't hear these more violent thoughts.

_What Charles did to Esme made her throw herself off a cliff…_the voice relentlessly tried to persuade me, but I ignored it.

To distract myself, I turned my thoughts back to Bella as the scenery almost literally flew by the darkly tinted car windows.

_I didn't foresee that she would be so good for him. That's unexpected, _I admitted to myself – though these thoughts, Edward could hear. It was a pleasant surprise, though…I remembered their very reserved argument after the van incident, then thought over all the precautions Edward had taken to protect her…much more than necessary.

_Perhaps this was somehow meant to be, _I mused. Like Esme, who was certainly a godsend. _Perhaps it serves a higher purpose. Only…_I couldn't help conjuring the image of Bella's vampire face: pale skin replaced by marble, red eyes shining like rubies. I flinched, and it disappeared. Hopefully, Bella would never be put in such a situation as to end in transformation. But even more hopefully, she would avoid a situation that entailed the other option...

_Edward deserves happiness. He's __**owed**__it. _I fiercely agreed with Esme on that. I too had watched Edward grow lonely. It had only gotten worse as the love blossomed between Esme and I. Now, living with three couples, it had to get to him sometimes.

_There must be a way. _But how? Edward would not let Bella be changed unless circumstances absolutely demanded it – perhaps not even then – and I would certainly prefer to keep the girl human. We would be taking her away from too much; her father, her friends, and every hope at a normal life. At children. I grimaced, Rosalie's pitiful tale again coming to mind.


	8. Temptation

**AN ~ Hmm. That last chapter wasn't as long as I had thought. Oh well, you lucky ppl are getting a second chapter!**

**Terminology: In England, 'merry' means being just a little bit drunk (my friend uses it and I laugh every time coz I always think of Xmas)**

**Disclaimer: Twilight, not mine, we've been through this**

**Reviews anyone?**

Chapter Eight: Temptation

Carlisle:

We parked outside the establishment – if you could call it that – where the unfortunate target of two angry vampires was drinking with his friends. He was oblivious to the danger he was in, totally careless of the pain he caused every one of his victims - a ripple effect through the rest of their lives. His ignorance made me even more furious, but I was careful not to show it. I was supposed to be a father figure, a roll model for Edward to learn from. If that meant going against my emotions, my instincts, then so be it. This was the _right thing._

The smell of alcohol and cigars was thick in the still night air. Lorrie, the man Edward had pointed out, laughed like a merry hyena. It was so like Royce King's; Rosalie's cruel, tricksy ex-fiancée. For one horrifying moment, I was again back in the streets of Rochester, seventy-odd years ago, crouched over the battered, abused body of Rosalie Hale. Her happiness destroyed, her future snatched away from her young hands, her life torn to shreds in a matter of minutes.

That could have been Bella, not an hour ago.

_Go, Edward, _I told him. He gladly disappeared, off to watch over his beloved Bella like a guardian angel. After pausing to marvel at the radical changes Edward was going through, I returned my attention to the task at hand.

...

Lorrie.

Lawrence James Hobson.

I had treated him for pneumonia when he was a little boy. He was such a good child...it's painful to see how good children can end up.

I watched from the car as Lorrie wandered away from his table out the front of the dingy, dishevelled bar. I felt my posture shift even though I didn't consciously change my position: my prey was alone, the hunt had begun.

Lorrie lit a cigarette and, puffing lazily, sauntered along the footpath in front of the building. I clenched the steering wheel tightly, all instincts screaming at me to take down my prey while he was unprotected, unaware. I was motionless for now, but getting restless.

_Not yet,_ I told myself, forcing myself to stay still. One twitch of my ankle and Lorrie would be dead within five seconds. The Volturi would be onto me, and I would follow my victim within the week. But never - _never _- had the urge to kill a human been so strong, so tempting...

_No. You're better than that, Carlisle. Anger will not control you._

I took a deep, cleansing breath. Only a portion of my anger disappeared, but I certainly had more control. I continued to watch Lorrie, but the predatorial instincts of the vampire in me were not the ones I was listening to. Reciting every action in my head to keep myself focused, I reached my hands into my bag and prepared the sedative somewhere he was sure not to see it.

Suddenly, I froze. Lorrie must have seen me watching him, because he tilted his head and started walking towards the car. I wasn't ready. I had to get away - now. Snatching the syringe and sedative out of my back without a second thought, I rushed out the opposite side door and hid in the patch of trees that lined the car park. It was not ideal, but it definitely smelt better than the humid, smoke-filled air.

Just a few feet away, Lorrie examined the car with a tilt of his head. Having decided he must have been seeing things, he shrugged and took another puff of his cigarette as he wandered back towards the table, where his one conscious friend was shuffling a pack of cards. Lorrie opened another two beers and sat down, dealing casino chips to his friend as the other two patrons sharing their table slid off their chairs to the cold, dusty, concrete floor.

From somewhere out of my field of vision, I heard high heels and giggling from higher up the street. I looked for the sound and much to my horror a pair of six- or seventeen year old girls rounded the corner, drunk beyond all reason. I was surprised they could even walk. If a white rabbit happened to cross their path, they would follow it without question. The perfect victims for men like Lorrie. And I very much doubted they had anyone to protect them - if they did, why would they be walking dangerous streets in the middle of the night, as drunk as anything?

Lorrie's friend wolf-whistled, setting aside his cards, and they both stood up. In my head, I heard the taunts Rosalie's fiancé and his friends had shouted at her that fateful night so many years ago. I took another look at the girls, so innocently walking into the spider's web. Drunk and terribly irresponsible though they might be, it was a horrible fate for anyone to face, let alone such young girls, with so much potential.

I gritted my teeth. I had to act quickly. I tapped the syringe a little harder than necessary to get the air out, reminding myself that if I wanted to kill the man I could just do it the quick way. Bent low, I snuck along the hedge I had been hiding in. I was still obstructed, but if someone was looking for anything unusual, they'd certainly find it.

"Good evening, ladies," Lorrie greeted loudly. To my ears, he sounded like an irritated camel, but judging by the excited whispers that followed, the girls hadn't noticed.

"Oh, look Tessa, he's talking to you…" The shorter of the two elbowed her friend, stumbling for a moment.

"Of course he is, Chels, this is hot stuff." The one called Tessa flicked her chemically straightened blond hair over her shoulder and smiled seductively with glossy pink lips. Lorrie's grin widened as he started walking towards them. The gap between the predator and his prey were closing, and I needed to get in the middle fast.

Lorrie was alone out the front of the pub. His friend had wandered back into the building. He had nothing to do with Bella, Edward had assured me, and so I didn't worry about him: I had no experience on which to judge the stranger. That was one witness down but, ill-functioning though their observation and decision skills may be, the girls still posed a problem.

Keeping myself bend low, I dashed back down the street to the property around the corner; an apartment building with lights flashing and music pounding. A silver purse with a long chain glistened in the purple, pink, green flashing lights of the nearest room's disco ball.

"Tessa! Chelsea!" I called. The footsteps stopped. "You dropped your hand bag!" In truth, there was no way of telling if it was one of theirs. I didn't really care - it would have to do for now.

"I knew I'd left something…ha ha…" Chelsea mumbled. The girls, still giggling and stumbling, jogged over in their high heels. Before they rounded the corner, I abandoned the bag – and a fifty dollar note, praying they would have the sense to get a cab the rest of the way home - and rushed towards Lorrie.

He was waiting for the girls to return, a satisfied grin already on his face, eyes glazed over with imaginings. Crinkling my nose against the bitter scents of beer and cigarette smoke, I slipped the needle into his skin and squeezed the plunger before he got a good look at me. His weight sagged against me, and though it was easy to bear, I couldn't keep my attention off that acrid odour. Edward's car would probably smell like drink and smoke for a week. Still, it was better that than killing him, and at least for now the girls were safe.

I dumped Lorrie's body in the back seat and then slumped in the driver's seat, exhausted by tonight's efforts. My anger, my desire to avenge Esme and Rosalie, my hatred for men like Lorrie and the pain they caused: all that remained. It lingered around me like diseased air. I rubbed my hands over my face and sighed. This was the best I could do. No man, even ones like this, deserved to die. I'd make sure Lorrie was found and sent to prison. He would live and I would be protecting the young women of the Port Angeles area.

I put my foot down, determined to get Lorrie out of the car before I changed my mind...which I was very tempted to do. As I drove away, I heard the remnants of the girls' conversation.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Tessa wondered.

"I dunno, but he was gross," Chelsea replied. _Thank God _one of them had recovered some sense. "I'm calling a cab. I wanna get the hell out of this freaky neighbourhood."

I pressed my foot down harder.


	9. Exposed

**AN ~ last chapter for today...man I'm tired...off to bed! I'd loooooove to wake up to an inbox full of reviews! C'mon three chaps ppl I'm sure you can think of something!**

**btw Edward's weirdly cheerful entry may seem a little bizarre (it certainly does to me) but that's what Steph and this story is completely canon!**

**Disclaimer: Twilight, Midnight Sun, are mine! (LOL nah I wish)**

Chapter Nine: Exposed

Esme:

"STUPID IRRESPONSIBLE IDIOT!" Rosalie screeched as she threw the door open. "What a fool. What an inconsiderate fool."

"Rose, it was going to happen eventually," Emmett assured her. "I mean, come on. The guy's been watching her _sleep _for a couple weeks now."

"And if she's going to be one of us, she ought to-" Alice was cut off when her sister turned on her, screaming.

"SHE IS _NOT _GOING TO BE ONE OF US!"

Jasper entered the room, struggling not to smile at the twisted expression on Rosalie's face. She knew Jasper was manipulating her, yet she couldn't help feeling what he wanted her to feel. She scowled at him but said nothing, instead storming outside and sprinting off into the forest to take her anger out on an unfortunate boulder.

"What's going on?" I asked, now that the room was silent.

"She knows," Alice told me quietly.

"Knows…what exactly?" I asked. I looked around at their expressions and needed no answer. Their faces said it all.

_Bella kno__ws what we are._

"Oh."

I sat on the corner of Edward's piano bench, hardly daring to believe what I was hearing. This couldn't be happening. A few days had past since the incident in Port Angeles, and here I was thinking everything was beginning to pan out. I sighed. _Poor Edward, _I lamented as the sad final strains of Bella's lullaby drifting through my head.

...

I don't know how long I'd been sitting there when Carlisle walked in. He hummed quietly, cheerful as he usually was when he returned home from work. Only two steps through the door, his enthusiastic demeanor wavered. I hadn't come to meet him: instantly he knew something was drastically wrong.

"Esme?" he wondered, looking first to the kitchen, then to the living area. He saw me alone on the piano stool and rushed to my side. He knelt beside the piano stool, one hand on my knee and the other at my cheek. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"She knows," I choked. "Bella knows. About us."

"Oh."

He came and sat beside me, enveloping me in his strong, inviting arms. He was my sanctuary at times like this, and I his. I reveled in the warmth of his hold, but at the same time it made me sad: I couldn't help considering that _this _is what Edward and Bella _almost _had.

"I can't believe this," Carlisle whispered. "I so thought it was going to work. Edward was so committed...he loved her so much...he's going to lose so much..."

Silence fell between us again. There was no point saying it aloud. On matters like these, our minds and hearts were identical. We both knew what would happen now - I mean, how hard was it to predict? The girl would run, screaming, and Edward's chances with her, with love and ultimate joy, would be torn to shreds.

I hoped Edward had managed to persuade her otherwise, but this was a hope with very thin legs. Bella was smart, perceptive and stubborn. If she knew, she'd have investigated. Not to mention, Edward would face the challenge of lying to the face of the one he loved, about a dark, dangerous secret he had to keep to protect her. Could I lie to Carlisle, if he were human - even to protect him from something brutal as the world of vampires? Of course not. In fact, especially not. I couldn't hide anything from him.

I knew how reckless it was to place so much upon such a fragile hope, but part of me would not give up. For Edward's sake, I _had _to believe that Bella would not run. But she should. For her safety and, quite possibly, her sanity, she should definitely be running...

...Shouldn't she?

...

Early the next morning, Edward came in, wearing the biggest smile I had seen on his face in a long time. In less than a second, Rosalie raced into the room, grabbed him by the neck and shoved him against the window before he could get a word out.

"How-could-you-even-THINK-of-letting-this-happen?" she hissed at him, all in one breath.

"Rosalie, please," Jasper interrupted, making Rosalie smile as she let Edward go.

"You're evil," she said through gritted teeth, lips still frozen in a welcoming smile, eyes still glaring at Jasper. He smirked, and she roared with fury, breaking free of Jasper's influence for a moment.

"Curse this family!" she declared, running out of the house. Emmett shook his head, torn between sympathy for his wife and - as he put it - 'appreciation' for Jasper's trick. He chased Rosalie.

"I'm sorry," Edward said. His eyes glistened with passion and joy, and he was still smiling even though he knew he shouldn't be. "I mean…now she knows, for sure. I never meant for this to happen, Carlisle, I never meant for her to find out! I swear! It's not like I told her. She figured it out all for herself; she just…I had to say yes."

"Edward, it's fine. Really. She was going to find out anyway," Carlisle said, smiling for his son, though his shoulders were tense.

"She won't say anything," Alice put in.

"She's not scared, Edward," Jasper said. "Why is that?"

"I don't know," he replied. "But she's insistent on it. I don't know what's gotten into her. I mean, she just _won't leave."_

"You _want _her to leave?" I choked. Leaving every night to watch over this girl, tracing her around at school, growing less and less enthusiastic about every second away from her…and now he _wanted _her to give that up?

"Well…she should." Edward turned to me, examining my thoughts.

_She means so much to you, Edward, don't you see? _I told him, taking advantage of his attention being on me. _She's staying for a reason. She loves you. Why else would she risk..? _Edward's face changed slowly - clearly he was still anxious about the concept of Bella's changing - and he turned back to Carlisle.

"I tried, Carlisle, I swear, but I just can't do it any more," he explained. "She wants to be with me…and I'm getting more inclined to let her. It's stupid and reckless, I know, but I suppose I should have been expecting that…" he drifted off, and I remembered the glint in his eye that Bella had inspired: the gaze of first love that Carlisle still looked at me with. _He's finally embraced it,_ I noticed with a smile. Not denied it, not reluctantly accepted it - Edward had finally opened his mind and _embraced _all these feelings. It was a lot to deal with; love was actually quite intimidating at first.

Not to mention, love with someone you knew you should be scared of. Bella Swan must be braver than I gave her credit for. Maybe it would be dangerous in the end but for now, I couldn't think of any happier news! My Edward still had his Bella.

Edward ducked out of the room, leaving us to ponder this miraculous occurrence, and returned a few seconds later in fresh clothes.

"Would you mind if I brought her over tomorrow?" he asked on his way out.

He nodded in my direction, already knowing the answer.


	10. Meeting Bella Swan

**AN ~ and now after that dramatic chapter, it's Fluff Time!**

**Thank you to the favouriters and subscribers! Big thanks to the reviewers, I love hearing from you guys!**

**Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine :(**

Chapter Ten: Meeting Bella Swan

Carlisle:

"She's with him!" Esme exclaimed cheerfully, dancing over to the piano to stand beside me. "I knew this was going to work!"

"Patience, love," I cautioned. Given the rollercoaster of emotions that had been their relationship so far, it was unreasonable to rest so much hope on Bella and Edward's love.

"Of all forms of caution…" Esme reminded me, grinning. _Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness, _Bertrand Russell's quote finished. I had to laugh.

"Just don't crowd her," I reminded my enthusiastic wife, kissing her ear before I straightened. A moment later, Bella crept nervously into the room. Edward followed the object of his affection very carefully, gauging all our reactions to her.

"Carlisle, Esme, this is Bella," Edward introduced.

"You're very welcome Bella," I greeted, smiling warmly. I measured my steps as I approached, and tentatively reached my hand out. Now she knew why it was so cold…This was the first time in a long time I have been as nervous as a human was in my presence.

"It's nice to see you again, Doctor Cullen," Bella greeted, shaking it with some measure of confidence that was not matched in her face. I suppose having a Police Chief for a father teaches you something about shaking hands properly.

"Please, call me Carlisle," I brushed off her formality.

"Carlisle," Bella repeated, testing the word on her tongue. Edward stepped up behind her at that moment, the fringes of his clothes brushing hers, and her heartbeat quickened. I controlled my expression, pretending I hadn't noticed, but Esme didn't bother to hide her reaction: her smile widened considerably, and Bella blushed furiously as the two shook hands.

"It's very nice to know you," Esme said, beaming. It sounded more like a promise than a greeting. I chuckled quietly: dear Esme and her romantic notions.

"Thank you. I'm glad to meet you too," Bella said, smiling timidly. Esme looked up at me as if to say; _see? I didn't scare her._

"Where are Alice and Jasper?" Edward asked. There was no answer needed; they had just appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Hey Edward!" Alice called enthusiastically. She raced down the stairs – nothing more than a blur to Bella's eyes – and came to a graceful stop right in front of the poor girl.

_I thought we'd agreed not to crowd her? _I pursed my lips and shot Alice a warning glance, which she ignored. Oh well; perhaps it was better they meet this way, so that we wouldn't have to break Alice's exuberance to Bella later.

Edward raised an eyebrow at me, and I realised I had just considered a 'later' in his relationship with Bella. I worried this was somehow the wrong opinion, but the smile that replaced the surprise on Edward's face told me he had well and truly given up on getting Bella to run. As I watched the two of them, it became more and more obvious that Esme's romantic notions were more accurate than I had dared believe.

"Hi, Bella!" Alice exclaimed, kissing Bella on the cheek. Esme and I simultaneously jumped, staggered. It was just like Alice to be so enthusiastic…but maybe it could have been toned down a little, at least for the first meeting?

Edward tensed.

"You do smell nice," Alice commented suddenly. "I never noticed before."

I shook my head pitifully. _Oh, Alice…_how do you follow that? How do you start a normal, human conversation after that?

Jasper, of course: the soothing antidote to his mate's electric vibe. He glided down the stairs, letting a calm atmosphere radiate over the room. Bella's heartbeat slowed to a resting pace.

"Hello, Bella," Jasper greeted, stiff and uncomfortable. He made sure to keep his distance, never approaching the girl. I smiled at him assuringly to let him know how much I appreciated what he was doing for his brother…for all of us. He was handling the situation well.

"Hello, Jasper," Bella greeted, smiling shyly. "It's nice to meet you all," she added, addressing the rest of us too. "You have a very beautiful home."

"Thank you. We're so glad that you came," Esme said, with feeling, in an effort to make Bella feel secure. I realised she must have been attempting to speak for Rosalie and Emmett, who were of course absent. Rosalie had taken her leave as soon as she heard Bella was coming and Emmett, being possibly the only person brave enough, had chased her.

Now that I thought about it, I recalled a vision of Alice's from earlier this morning. I turned my gaze to Edward.

_I should tell you; last night, Alice saw some strangers come to visit. They're just curious, but I'm not sure whether to tell Bella…the news might frighten her…_Edward nodded, but gave no sign as to what he intended to do with the information.

...

Esme:

Bella's eyes scanned the room, lingering on Edward's beautiful, beloved piano. I wondered if they shared the same passions.

"Do you play?" I asked. Bella shook her head.

"No. Not at all," she said, "but it's so beautiful. Is it yours?"

"No," I replied, nearly laughing at the idea of my attempting to make something even remotely beautiful come out of such an instrument. "Didn't Edward tell you he was musical?"

"No." Bella shot a glare at Edward, whose face dropped from amusement to total innocence. "I should have known, I guess." I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"Edward can do everything, right?" Bella joked. Jasper snickered, and I turned to Edward.

"I hope you haven't been showing off," I scolded. "It's rude."

"Just a bit." Edward laughed freely, and I had to lighten up.

_I always knew Bella would make you happy, _I thought, feeling quite smug.

"He's been too modest actually," Bella put in. Of course he had; Edward was such a gentleman.

"Well, play for her," I encouraged, waving him towards the piano. How could he let this girl miss out on his beautiful playing?

"You just said showing off was rude," he objected, half-teasing and half-complaining. He was nervous. Ha.

"There are exceptions to every rule." _It's beautiful, Edward, she'll love it._

"I'd like to hear you play," Bella said, modestly.

"It's settled then." I pushed Edward towards the piano with gusto, and he took Bella with him. He gave her an exaggeratedly pained look before putting his fingers to the keys and playing my favourite song. Behind Edward and Bella's backs, Carlisle and I danced to it, our feet not making a sound on the polished floor. Edward hid his grin.

I turned under Carlisle's arm as the music weaved around us, and suddenly we paused; I still halfway through the turn, Carlisle still holding his arm over my head. Bella's eyes were wide, her jaw hanging open in astonishment.

_I told you she would love it, _I teased. Carlisle and I chuckled quietly to ourselves as we picked up where we had left off.

"Do you like it?" Edward asked Bella.

"You _wrote _this?" she gasped.

"It's Esme's Favourite."

_I told you she would love it, _I repeated as Carlisle put his hands to my hips and lifted me into the air like a ballet dancer. He let me back to the ground, kissed me gently and whispered in my ear.

"I think its time we gave them some privacy." I nodded like a seal, glowing with happiness, and Carlisle led me out of the room, wearing a matching smile.


	11. Nostalgia

**AN ~ this one has sadness **_**and **_**fluff :') As usual, big thanks to favouriters, subscribers, readers and reviewers! Keep those reviews coming, they really warm my heart...and my fingers!**

**If you're interested, look up Musical Cues Contest. It is a competition on which will be voted on over here, so all the entries have been posted here. We had to write a 2500+ word oneshot based on/inspired by a song. It was fun!**

**I have about 4 entries I think but I can't tell you what they are because it is an anonymous contest. There are nearly forty entries so get reading, guys - voting starts soon!**

Chapter Eleven: Nostalgia

Carlisle:

Esme and I retreated to her bedroom – or rather, the room upstairs in which she kept her blueprints and personal items. There was a desk beside the door, with a hinged lamp folded against the wall above it. Nearby was an eclectic collection of pigeonholes - the remnants of many sets which had been partially destroyed or lost over the years - in which she kept blank and unfinished designs, and her favourite old ones. In the middle of the room were a floor rug and a pile of cushions, most of which the children had given her over the years, and along the other three walls were benches.

On the benches – among other things - were a stereo and CD wrack, a jewelry box (and several stands surround it, each dripping with necklaces) and _lots_ of photographs. Perhaps hundreds. Esme moved them around a lot, and pictures from around the rest of the house were often switched with them, but there were two pictures too important and too personal – not to mention _far _too old – to be moved outside of her sanctuary. One was a sepia photograph of she and I at our wedding in 1922, and beside it was the only picture in the world of Esme's baby boy, who had died just days after being born.

Esme's story was a tragic one, but as she so often proclaimed, she would suffer it all again if she had to, just to be with me. There was one thing this life couldn't grant her, though. She tried not to let it get her down, but every once in a while it took its toll. She missed the chance to have a baby.

"Don't look like that," she said, gliding over to me and looking up into my eyes. "It's not your fault."

"I know, but…" _but I took that from you._

"Carlisle, I have five beautiful children, and I have you. I love you all with all my heart, and I thought I'd never get to do that again."

"You're too easy on me, sweetheart," I said, but she had made me feel a little better. She kissed me gently and then backed off, satisfied that my moment of guilt had passed.

"Speaking of hearts," she said, "don't you have to go to work soon? Doctor Snow called in sick, remember, and you owe him a shift."

"I have a while longer," I stalled, wishing I could stay here with Esme for longer than just _a while_. It was so rare we got time to ourselves.

Just then, Alice and Jasper appeared.

"Sorry," Jasper said. "She's getting ideas." He and I laughed as Alice danced over to Esme, already babbling ideas for some new dress or other.

"I'll be outside…" he told me, looking from my face to the girls, giggling away to each other. Esme always looked so much younger when she laughed, so much closer to Alice and Rosalie's age. I sighed with longing as the sunlight shone through her hair, lighting it up like a bronze halo.

...

Alice was not going to let Esme go any time soon, and I was already stretching the time I had to get to work. To get my head out of the clouds of its daydreaming, I headed back to my office and picked up Avicenna's Canon of Medicine; a book from before my time, which I had not read in some years. It was interesting to note the changes and discoveries that had been made since then – of which there were many. I had noted these changes in margins at first, but eventually decided to record my observations and tuck them into the back of the book.

"You can laugh, it is sort of ironic."Edward's voice drifted down the stairs. A smile touched my lips: clearly they had reached the crucifix. Contrary to my expectations, though, Bella didn't laugh.

"It must be very old,"she mused.

"Early sixteen thirties, more or less," came the casual reply. _Very old indeed._

"Why do you keep this here?"

"Nostalgia. It belonged to Carlisle's father."

"He collected antiques?"Bella wondered doubtfully. I laughed quietly and started reading. The words were Latin, but that was no more trouble for me to read than for the people who had written it. _Canonus of Remdemdium, _the front page was labelled.

"How old is Carlisle?" Bella wondered.

"He just celebrated his three hundred and sixty-second birthday," Edward replied. He followed this by recounting a shorter – and somewhat censored – version of my history.

Scolding myself for eavesdropping, I returned my eyes to the pages before me, letting their conversation drift into the background. _Rememdium est scientia quo nos perceptum varius civitas of humanus somes in valetudo quod ut non in valetudo, _I read_, quod opes quo valetudo est amo ut defluo quod, ut lost, est amo futurus recidivus. (__Medicine is the science by which we learn the various states of the human body in health and when not in health, and the means by which health is likely to be lost and, when lost, is likely to be restored.)_

__"Come on then," Edward invited. His voice was so close, he must have been right outside the door. "I'll show you."

"Come in," I invited.

...

Bella stared in awe as she looked over the room, her eyes scanning the desk and the shelves and the leather-bound volumes that filled them…and no doubt trying to associate them with my twenty-three-year-old appearance.

"What can I do for you?" I inquired.

"I wanted to show Bella some of our history," Edward said. "Well, your history actually,"

"We didn't mean to disturb you," Bella added.

"Not at all," I brushed off her concern. "Where are you going to start?"

"The Waggoner," Edward replied. He pulled Bella along the row of pictures - making her heart jump in ways I'm sure she found very embarrassing - to a small, square, oil painting; the Waggoner.

"London in the sixteen-fifties," Edward stated.

"The London of my youth," I explained. Bella jumped, and I silently apologised. I hadn't realised I had approached them so quietly: she must not have heard me coming.

"Will _you _tell the story?" Edward asked.

"I would, but I'm actually running a bit late," I excused myself. "The hospital called this morning: Doctor Snow is taking a sick day. Besides, you know the stories as well as I do." Edward gave me a pained look. I smiled slyly.

_Coward. Why don't you just talk to her? _I teased, recalling the very words he had used eighty years ago to make me interact with Esme in phrases longer than three words. He fought a smile, my specific choice of words not lost on him. I gave Bella another warm smile and slipped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone. Then off I ran to work, realising that I was in fact late.


	12. Baseball

**AN ~ another nice little fluffy one, Baseball. Did I mention that ever since Edward left Carlisle alone in Port Angeles, there is no more Midnight Sun? This isn't as behind-the-scenes as the next few chaps will be, but I'd like to hear from you about how you think I'm handling their characters without training wheels! (and anything else, of course)**

**Also, voting for the Musical Cues contest starts very soon! there are nearly 40 entries so get reading guys, and pick your top three!**

**Disclaimer: twilight and characters are not mine :(**

Chapter Twelve: Baseball

Esme:

Bella had taken to us surprisingly well, and it wasn't too long until Edward brought her to see us again. This time, though, it would be more like Emmett's idea of a good time than mine. From somewhere deep in the forest came a strangled laugh. I smiled and shook my head; Bella was so good for my son. Her very presence made him happy.

_And if she sticks with him through this, anything is possible, _I mused cheerfully, watching Emmett toss a baseball bat a few hundred feet into the air before it whistled back down into his hands.

"I still think this is a dumb idea," Rosalie muttered as Edward and Bella came into view. She huffed and headed out to our makeshift baseball field – twice the size of any human one – with an exaggeratedly graceful step as Emmett and I started towards Edward and Bella.

"Was that you we heard, Edward?" I teased, recalling the very loud, twisted laugh from their direction.

"It sounded like a bear choking," Emmett clarified, grinning.

"That was him," Bella said, smiling shyly at me.

"Bella was being unintentionally funny," Edward explained. Suddenly, Alice launched towards us – half running and half dancing – and, as always, came to a sudden, yet graceful stop.

"It's time," she announced gleefully. A deep rumble of thunder punctuated her words.

"Eerie, isn't it?" Emmett remarked, winking at Bella.

"Let's go!" Alice grabbed Emmett's hand and they both sprinted off towards the field.

"Are you ready for some ball?" Edward asked Bella enthusiastically. She tried to mimic his enthusiasm…but I got the feeling she wasn't as rapt by sport as my bizarre family: even the refined, book-loving Carlisle jumped at the chance of a game. I preferred to stick to the sidelines and try and enforce a few rules.

...

Edward ran off after Alice and Emmett, and for a moment Bella stopped breathing. Her mouth hung open as she stared after Edward, stunned.

"Shall we go down?" I offered, pretending I hadn't noticed her vacant expression. Bella jumped slightly, reassembled her features and nodded. We started walking, but I kept a few feet between us to avoid frightening Bella: we weren't exactly lowering her into this slowly, and I speak from experience when I say it is a lot to take in. _And she isn't even one of us..._I fought the 'yet' out of my head before Edward could hear it. He had his good days and bad days about their future together.

"You don't play with them?" Bella asked shyly, probably having noticed that I was in no rush to prepare for the game.

"No, I prefer to referee," I explained, thinking back on some of the fights I had had to break up. "I like keeping them honest."

"Do they like to cheat, then?"

"Oh, yes," I agreed. "You should hear the arguments they get into! Actually, I hope you don't; you would think they'd been raised by a pack of wolves!" I recalled the time Edward and Emmett got into a fight so intense I had literally had to throw them apart, and smiled at the irony.

"You sound like my mom," Bella commented with a laugh of surprise. I laughed too – it was strange that I considered myself their mother when Edward and Jasper were technically older than I was. Again, Edward and Emmett's hot-blooded fights that resulted in my throwing them to opposite ends of our baseball fields came to mind.

"Well, I do think of them as my children in most ways. I never could get over my mothering instincts – did Edward tell you I had lost a child?"

"No," Bella replied, shocked but sad. She was worried about prying. She blushed.

"Yes, my first and only baby," I explained. "He died just a few days after he was born, the poor tiny thing. It broke my heart." I remembered holding him, cold and lifeless, and I sighed. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carlisle's cheerful face, and I remembered the good that had come from that. So much good.

"That's why I jumped off the cliff, you know," I added matter-of-factly, trying not to ruin the good spirit of the evening.

"Edward just said you f-fell," Bella stammered.

"Always the gentleman," I said, smiling as I tried to wipe the sadness from my eyes. "Edward was the first of my new sons. I've always thought of him that way, even though he's older than I in one way at least." I turned to Bella, smiling warmly now, and added; "That's why I'm so happy that he's found you, dear. He's been the odd man out for far too long; it's hurt me to see him alone."

"You don't mind then?" Bella inquired, hesitant again. "That I'm…all wrong for him?"

"No," I replied. "You're what he wants. It will work out, somehow." As I spoke, Alice's words rang through my head; _there are really only two options left for her now…_I hoped the second peal of thunder had distracted Bella, and stopped her: we had reached the edge of the field. Carlisle was waiting between the first and second bases, Alice on the pitcher's mound and Edward far to the back of the field. Jasper was catching, for the moment, though he was on Emmett and Rosalie's team. Emmett stood a few feet in front of Jasper, on home base, flipping around an aluminum bat - at a human altitude this time - as he waited. He took his stance when he noticed my arrival.

"All right, batter up," I announced clearly.

Alice waited, still perfectly straight, and then whipped out like a cobra all of a sudden. The ball flew straight into Jasper's hand with a smack.

"Was that a strike?" Bella whispered, keeping her eyes on the game, as one tends to do as a spectator of sports.

"If they don't hit it, it's a strike," I explained.

Jasper flung the ball back to Alice, and she grinned for a moment before letting the ball fly again. The crack of speeding bat against speeding ball rang out through the ranges, reverberating all around us. Bella's eyes widened as the ball sailed across the field, disappearing into the surrounding forest.

"Home run," she murmured.

"Wait," I told her, raising a hand and listening intently for Edward. Emmett shot around the bases, Carlisle shadowing him. There was a faint smack, and Edward announced;

"Got it!"

"Out!" I declared. Bella stared in awe as Edward returned, holding the ball above his head and grinning triumphantly.

"Emmett hits the hardest," I told Bella, "but Edward runs the fastest." I chuckled, and the innings continued. Bella's eyes flew around the field, but she still couldn't keep up.

When it came Jasper's turn to bat, he hit a ground ball towards Carlisle in an effort to avoid Edward. Carlisle flashed a grin, grabbed the ball and shot after Jasper in a race to first base. When they collided, a crash echoed around the clearing. Bella jumped, no doubt surprised and concerned, but I laughed and shook my head, sharing a joke with my ridiculous husband, and Carlisle smiled sheepishly at me as he got to his feet.

"Safe," I called.

...

At the changeover, Edward jogged in to Bella, glowing.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"One thing's for sure; I'll never be able to sit through boring old Major League Baseball again," she replied.

"And it sounds like you did so much of that before," Edward commented sarcastically. He laughed.

"I am a little disappointed," Bella went on.

"Why?" Edward inquired, honestly puzzled.

"Well, it would be nice if I could find just_ one _thing you didn't do better than everybody else on this planet," Bella replied. Edward smiled crookedly at Bella's ignorance, but it was his turn to bat before he could say anything more.


	13. Visitors

**AN ~ second chapter today, fluffiness over for now coz here come the troublesome trio! dun dun DUNNNN!**

**Reminder that voting for the FreeWriters One Shot Musical Cues contest starts veeeery soon so start reading! Voting is from the 13****th**** to the 18****th****, you can find a link to the poll on the FreeWriters One Shot Contests page once voting opens.**

**Another reminder, I 3 reviews! special thanks to TwilightLover-CarlisleandEsme who has reviewed every chapter, I think...if I could thank all my beloved reviewers the list would go on 4eva so I'm going to shut up now**

**Disclaimer: twilight not mine :(**

Chapter Thirteen: Visitors

Esme:

And so the game continued, with mostly casual banter that only occasionally required my attention. Carlisle scored a home run on his first bat, but a few innings' after that, was stopped before he even stepped up to the plate. It all happened very fast. Too fast for Bella to follow, I'd imagine. Alice's eyes went hazy, and Edward shot up to Bella's side before she could even fathom what had happened.

"Alice?" I asked, my voice strained as I hoped that Edward's determination to protect Bella was not necessary today. This had been going so well...

"I didn't see…I couldn't tell…" Alice whispered frantically as the others gathered around us.

"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle asked, his whole demeanor calm and patient. I wish I could do that. I was so tense, shifting my weight around and fidgeting incessantly as Alice explained.

"They were travelling much quicker than I thought. I can see I had the perspective wrong before."

_They? _I was puzzled for a moment, then remembered the 'visitors' she had mentioned earlier: strangers.

"What changed?" Jasper asked, leaning protectively over his mate.

"They heard us playing, and changed their path," Alice said, sounding a little nervous and shy, as if she somehow thought it was her fault. She probably blamed herself for organising the game today. I didn't; we needed to do something fun, let loose a little, after such a tense few weeks, and tonight's thunderstorm gave us the perfect opportunity. Otherwise, she was blaming herself for not having seen earlier. I wished she wouldn't: if not for her, we wouldn't see the future at all. We wouldn't even know the strangers were here. Bella would be in so much more danger if not for Alice.

Simultaneously, our gazes all flicked onto Bella: wasn't she what they wanted? 

"How soon?" Carlisle asked, turning to Edward.

"Less than five minutes," he replied. I stiffened, the need to shuffle suddenly having disappeared. I took a deep breath, and Bella's scent rushed into my lungs, bringing a thrill of joy and a flood of thirst through me at the same time. I bit my lip and groaned silently.

"They're running. They want to play." Edward scowled, apparently not convinced by our visitors' apparently innocent desire. I swallowed the venom that had begun to seep into my mouth and pushed down my own flaring thirst.

"Can you make it?" Carlisle asked Edward, concerned eyes flickering to Bella again.

"No, not carrying-" he broke off before he could make her feel bad. "Besides, the last thing we need is for them to catch the scent and start hunting." I nodded in agreement.

"How many?" Emmett asked Alice.

"Three," she replied.

"Three! Let them come." Emmett flexed his muscles, always eager to take a challenge.

"Let's just continue the game," Carlisle suggested, though it was really a decision. Everyone had been waiting on his word. "Alice said they were simply curious."

I glanced at Bella – our conversation was probably too fast for her to keep up, but she was listening, so she would have caught at least some of it. She was a smart girl. I smiled at her.

"Are they thirsty?" I whispered to Edward quickly, so that she definitely could not hear: she didn't need to be as panicked as I was. Edward shook his head once and I nearly melted with relief. Perhaps they did just want to join the game after all.

Another shudder ran through me as my entire body was filled with Bella's scent. I just wanted Bella to be part of the family, and that didn't make her scent any easier to ignore. These visitors were a danger, no matter what their intentions.

...

Carlisle:

"You catch, Esme," Edward instructed. "I'll call it now." He planted himself in front of Bella defensively, and the rest of us returned half-heartedly to our game.

"Relax, Esme," I told her, stepping up to the batting plate. Esme crouched behind me. "Nomads pass through all the time. We have nothing to worry about."

The game played on, in total silence, as if we could somehow hide from the strangers. Bella's scent was painfully sharp now, even to me, though not in the same sense. We all knew how good she smelled, and we knew that our senses had been dulled by our diet, so it followed that the strangers would smell it stronger.

"I'm sorry Bella," Edward muttered fiercely; it carried through the empty silence. "It was stupid, irresponsible, to expose you like this. I'm so sorry." Suddenly, his breathing stopped. His eyes locked on right field. Bella's heartbeat quickened.

"Do you hear that?" Esme asked, scarcely more than a breath. I nodded slightly, and Esme stood. The whole family was now facing the sounds: footsteps, coming towards us through the forest.

...

One by one, they came. The two males had cropped hair, and the female's was an enormous banner of curls, a startling shade of red. They wore the kind of clothing one would expect on a hiker, but the garments were frayed and torn with wear, and all three travelers were barefoot.

The second male overtook the first in a showy move that clearly proved who the leader was. Apparently, they knew who the leader was here too: their eyes scrutinized every facet of my appearance as Emmett, Jasper and I went forward to meet them. I realised that I had been doing the same; noting that their leader had smooth black hair and the typical perfect smile. He had olive-toned skin under the vampire white, and was of a medium build. He was the most refined of the three. The female was wild; her posture catlike in both grace and ferocity. The other male appeared casual yet confident, and his features were quite nondescript. Helpful, I couldn't help noticing, when you wanted to stay hidden. Their eyes were matching burgundy red.

"We thought we heard a game," the leader said casually, the slightest French accent in his voice. I allowed myself to relax a little, comforted by his attitude, but I was hardly convinced they had no intention of harming Bella – not that they would try at the present, being outnumbered more than two-to-one.

"I'm Laurent; these are Victoria and James," the leader continued, gesturing to the other two red-eyed vampires.

"I'm Carlisle," I replied. "This is my family: Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Alice, Edward and Bella." I introduced us in groups, rather than pairs, to avoid drawing attention to individuals – particularly Bella.

"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent inquired socially.

"Actually, we were just finishing up," I said, in much the same mood as Laurent. "But we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning to stay in the area for long?" Jasper glanced at me approvingly, clearly having noticed my underhanded attempt at getting strategic information. The nomads, however, showed no signs of having noticed my ulterior motives. This was probably because of Jasper influencing their levels of comfort and, by association, their levels of trust. We were all starting to feel the effects of his ability.

"We're headed north, in fact," Laurent explained, "but we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We haven't run into any company in a long time."

"No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor like yourselves."

"What's your hunting range?" Laurent inquired.

"The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion," I said, gesturing to the areas to point them out to the strangers, ignoring the assumption in Laurent's question. "We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali." Laurent rocked back on his heels slightly, amused.

"Permanent?" he wondered, with honest curiosity. "How do you manage that?"

"Why don't you come back to our home with us and we can talk comfortably – It's a rather long story," I said. How we were going to get Bella away from them was another thing entirely, but they were starting to trust us. Maybe that would be enough to give Edward his chance.

"That sounds very interesting, and welcome," Laurent replied, smiling in earnest now. "We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to clean up in a while." Again, his eyes scanned my appearance.

"Please don't take offense, but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from hunting in this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you understand," I explained.

"Of course," Laurent nodded. "We certainly won't encroach on your territory. We just ate outside of Seattle, anyway." Laurent laughed, but I had to refrain my shudder_. _Instead, I invited:

"We'll show you the way if you'd like to run with us. Emmett and Alice, you can go with Edward and Bella to get the Jeep." I was glad to have three hundred years of practice at lying under my belt then, but the flawlessness of my attempt to get Bella away from the strangers was scattered in the wind within seconds.

Bella's hair was tossed by a breeze, exposing her scent. James whipped his head around, nostrils flaring, and his eyes bore into her. Edward stiffened defensively, and the rest of us followed a moment later when James lurched forward into a crouch. Edward crouched too, a snarl ripping out of his throat as he bore his teeth at James.

"What's this?" Laurent exclaimed, exaggerating surprise. James feinted to the left, but Edward was ready for him.

"She's with us," I said, leaving no room for misunderstanding. James ignored me. Realisation dawned on Laurent's face.

"You brought a snack?" he wondered incredulously, taking a step forward. Edward snarled again, even more vicious this time, and his lip curled over his teeth like a dog. Laurent stepped back.

"I said _she's with us,"_ I repeated firmly.

"But she's _human,_" Laurent protested, amazed rather than aggressive.

"Yes," Emmett said, eyes watching James' every movement. Slowly, James came out of his crouch. Edward did not.

"It appears we have a lot to learn about each other," Laurent said politely.

"Indeed," I agreed, just as calm. Perhaps we could salvage the conversation and sort this out in a civilised manner after all.

"But we'd like to accept your invitation," Laurent continued. His eyes flickered to Bella for a moment before he added; "And, of course, we will not harm the human girl. We won't hunt in your range, as I said."

James flashed a glare at Laurent, and then exchanged a look of exasperation with the redhead female, Victoria. I examined Laurent's expression, but it showed no hints of betrayal or secrecy.

"We'll show you the way," I said. "Jasper, Rosalie, Esme?" They converged beside me, and Emmett backed away slowly, still watching James, to join Bella, Edward and Alice.


	14. Trouble

**AN ~ Since mine are really long lately (what can I say, I love talking to you guys!) I have decided to divide my AN into 4 sections, coz I sort of always do anyway...lol** **Reviews: OMG I opened my inbox to find 41 emails from ! Seven reviews for last Stars chapter! Including new readers + reviewers! Yay! Drop me some more guys? They totally make my day! You scratch my back I scratch yours, hmm?****This chap: I enjoyed working a bit with Laurent's rather eccentric character in this chapter, but unfortunately canon is canon so I didn't get to play around for too long :( Plus more BtS free-stylin' this chap...coming next, the real challenge: the hunt!**

**Reminders: ****VOTING IS OPEN for the FreeWriter's One Shot Musical Cues contest ~ get on down there my beloved readers! Fly my pretties (muah ha ha ha!)**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, its characters, or the Wizard of Oz, which I just quoted up there in 'Reminders'**

Chapter Fourteen: Trouble

Carlisle:

Laurent strolled along the side wall of my study, examining my collection of art as he passed, and - just as I had expected - stopped when he reached the Waggoner.

"London, 1640's, right?" he asked. "Ah, the era of the vampire hunters. That sounds like fun."

"To you, maybe," I said. "Actually, thinking back on it now, I can't believe how ignorant we all were!" I laughed.

"_We?"_ Laurent repeated. "You were one of them, then?"

"Yes."

He gave a low whistle, impressed, and returned his attention to the art. The next one to make him hesitate was the picture of Aro, Marcus, Caius and I, standing like gods over a realm of chaos. If only the world of artistry knew just how close they came to capturing the truth...

"I see you've had your fair share of interesting company, Carlisle," Laurent remarked. "I've heard a lot about you, but I never imagined _this." _He stepped out of the study and scanned the house again, clearly impressed by our standard of living. Suddenly, he and I both jumped, realising at the same moment that the house was empty.

Esme and Rosalie ran in then, flustered.

"They got away," Esme said, shaking her head and scolding herself for being so careless.

"Oh, dear," Laurent said, his cheerful expression suddenly gone. "You may want to call your family back in, Carlisle: James is not one to be messed with." Suddenly, Emmett burst through the door with Bella in his arms. Edward and Alice were only a split second behind them.

"He's tracking us," Edward announced, glaring at Laurent, who swallowed nervously.

"I was afraid of that."

...

Alice and Jasper disappeared upstairs a moment later, and Rosalie shifted to Emmett's side. Bella was still flustered and petrified.

"What will he do?" I asked Laurent, desperately trying not to sound as panicked as I felt. Outright attack? Stealthy ambush? We hadn't been under attack like this for a very long time, and from the sound of things, we'd never faced an opponent like James.

"I'm sorry," Laurent replied sincerely. "I was afraid, when your boy there defended her, that it would set him off."

"Can you stop him?" I asked, refraining the urge to shake him by the shoulders. Laurent shook his head.

"Nothing stops James when he gets started."

Esme's breathing stopped. Her hand flew into mine, and though she didn't speak I could almost hear her concern.

"We'll stop him," Emmett promised. _Stop him…_kill him: it seemed the only option left now. Even if we were willing to let him get Bella, there was too much of a risk to other humans who would try and defend her or who witnessed the attack – or the aftermath.

"You can't bring him down." Laurent was almost begging us to run. I wished we could take him up on his request, but running wouldn't last us long. "I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. He's absolutely lethal. That's why I joined his coven."

_His _coven? All this time he'd been pretending…Laurent flashed me an embarrassed, apologetic look.

"Are you sure it's worth it?" he asked, looking at Bella for a moment, then turning back to me. Esme's grasp on my hand tightened, and Edward roared wordlessly.

"I'm afraid you're going to make a choice," I said, my eyes boring into my guest's as I tried to ignore Esme's panicked grip on my hand. Laurent looked around at all our faces, then again passed his eyes over the rest of the house.

"I am intrigued by the life you've created here, but I won't get in the middle of this," he said. "I bear none of you any enmity, but I won't go up against James. I think I will head north – to that clan in Denali." He hesitated for a moment, and then more urgency came into his tone. "Don't underestimate James. He's got a brilliant mind and unparallelled senses. He's every bit as comfortable in the human world as you seem to be, and he won't come at you head on…I'm sorry for what's been unleashed here. Truly sorry."

Laurent bowed his head.

"Go in peace," I said. Laurent looked around himself once more, then disappeared out the door. Now that Laurent was dealt with, it was time for the issue of James. I turned to Edward.

Esme pulled away from me and headed to the glass wall, brushing her fingers over the hidden keypad. Bella gaped as metal shutters began lowering themselves over the glass. The thick steel made me feel slightly better, but with an enemy I couldn't see, it was torturous not knowing where the next attack would be coming from.

"How close?" I asked.

"About three miles out past the river," Edward replied. "He's circling around to meet up with the female."

"What's the plan?"

"We'll lead him off, and then Jasper and Alice will run her south." Edward didn't sound at all happy with that plan. It made my mouth go bitterly dry, thinking of our family so widely spread.

"And then?"

"As soon as Bella is clear, we hunt him."

It sounded so final. So much like the only way out.

"I guess there's no other choice," I had to agree.

"Get her upstairs and trade clothes," Edward demanded of Rosalie. She glared at him spitefully.

"Why should I? What is she to me – except a menace, a danger you've chosen to inflict on all of us?"

"Rose…" Emmett murmured, reaching forward to put a hand on his mate's shoulder. She shook it off. Edward acted as if she hadn't spoken.

"Esme?" he asked calmly.

"Of course," she replied, disappearing up the stairs with Bella. For a moment, I was flushed with anger at Edward for deliberately putting Esme in danger, but I could see his plan, and I knew it was for the best. Esme would have much more of a chance than Bella if it came to a fight.

I ran into my study, and pulled out a backpack full of emergency supplies - - that is, a fresh stock of blood bags and a collection fire-lighting implements from across the ages. Emmett took it from me when I arrived back in the main room.

"Carlisle, you don't have to-" Edward started.

"I'm not letting you do this yourselves." I tried to ignore the fact that my tiny golden crucifix was burning red-hot at my neck.

"You should stay with Esme."

"She'll be safe with Rosalie." It killed me to say that. It absolutely killed me, even though it was true. But I knew Esme would never forgive me if something happened to any of the family just because I felt the need to hover over her instead of them. "You need as much help as you can get."

Esme, Alice and Bella arrived at that moment; Esme dressed in Bella's outfit and Bella in one of Esme's. The pants were too long for Bella, but they were a thick material that offered protection as well as a retinue of scents it had retained. Esme's eyes were determined but at the same time concerned as I handed her a small silver cell phone. I gave Alice another. It was time to split up.

"Esme and Rosalie will be taking your truck, Bella," I told her. She nodded, but she was looking at Rosalie, who was glowering at me with dark eyes.

"Alice, Jasper; take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the south," I continued. They nodded in recognition.

"We're taking the Jeep."

Esme and Bella drew breath in simultaneously when they realised I intended to go with Edward; with the hunting party.

"Carlisle…" Esme murmured. She could see the sense in it, though, and reluctantly backed down.

"Alice, will they take the bait?" I asked. Alice closed her eyes, and after a torturously long moment of stillness, replied:

"He'll track you. The woman will follow the truck. We should be able to leave after that."

"Let's go," I said, starting towards the kitchen with new confidence. Edward flashed to Bella's side, and drew her into a hug. He pressed his lips against hers for a second, oblivious to the eyes of the rest of us, and then he put her down. He lingered for a moment, his eyes dark and empty. Behind those eyes, though, was the promise of love and protection that made me determined to do whatever it took to make Bella safe. She was now a part of Edward's life, of our lives: whether she knew it or not, she was a part of the family.

"I love you," Esme breathed. Her soft voice echoed in my ears.

"I love you," I replied, even softer.

Edward touched my shoulder, and a moment later, we were out the door.


	15. Worth It

**AN ~** **Reviews: thanking all my readers and my wonderful reviewers, especially the loyal TwilightLover-CarlisleandEsme, the enthusiastic Milene Lira and the brilliant Mackenzie L.** **Reminder: check out http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/~freewritersoneshotcontests to read and vote in the Musical Cues contest!**

**This Chap: This was a completely on-my-own chapter. No Twilight or Midnight Sun to help out!**

**Disclaimer: characters are not mine :(**

Chapter Fifteen: Worth It Esme:  
At the highest speed Bella's truck could manage, we were headed north; forest and mountains there made a sensible attempted hiding place for Bella. Rosalie continued to grumble to herself about how stupid this whole mess was, and after a while I gave up trying to intercede.  
Silent, I stared out the window, barely noticing how much we were bouncing up and down. In my lap, my fingers restlessly twisted my wedding ring. I couldn't help thinking of Carlisle; the pained determination in his eyes when he decided to join the hunting party. I prayed it would not come to a hand-to-hand fight. Between them, Carlisle and Jasper could out-strategy anyone any day - but only Jasper was the trained fighter. Only he would make it out of an unplanned confrontation.  
I ground my teeth together in anxiety but also rage: how could we have let those strangers get so close? We had been so focused on Bella, we had not given enough thought to the defense of our family. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"DUCK!" Rosalie screeched, wrenching the wheel to one side. I covered my head with my hands as an angry orange flare bounced over the cabin and smashed the windscreen. Sparks spewed from the end of it, making irrationally loud sizzling noises as they settled harmlessly on Bella's clothes. Thankfully, the flare rolled off the dashboard as the old red truck forced itself through the tight U-turn Rosalie commanded of it.  
I drew in shallow, rapid breaths of air. I could smell Victoria, but I couldn't figure out where. Suddenly, her hair flickered in the night like a signal tower. She was in the forest, headed back to Forks - the same way we were now facing.  
"Screw this piece of crap," Rosalie muttered, jerking the truck to a loud halt by the side of the road.  
"We have to get to Charlie before she does," I breathed. The death of the Chief of Police would cause an uproar in the town - especially coupled with the mysterious disappearance of his daughter and the strange Cullen family. Not to mention what it would do to Bella.  
"Are you coming or not?" Rosalie called, already out of sight. Pulling myself together, I shot after her.

...  
Crashing through the undergrowth towards Charlie's place, my anger and determination lost its strength and fear returned to twist my gut.  
_Oh God, oh God, oh God_, I fretted as branches whipped my face, stinging my eyes, nearly making me lose track of Rose a few times. _What are we doing? This is insane! We can't fight her!_  
"Stupid. Inconsiderate. Twat." Rosalie hissed to herself, wisely ducking the branches that were snapping off against my face. "Why Bella, hmm? Why that clumsy danger-magnet? So typically Edward...blach... Honestly, who else would do that? Fall in love with a human, really..."  
_Love._  
That's why we were doing this. For Bella and for Edward, who had been made so much happier by the mere existence of this girl. He didn't care that she was clumsy - or, as it seemed, a 'danger-magnet.' I didn't care either. I didn't know much about that girl. As far as I could tell, she was nothing too out of the ordinary - timid, a little awkward and lacking in self-confidence, and of course clumsy. But one thing overcame all my fears, made me more determined and prepared than ever to face the dangers we now did. That one thing marked Bella as different; as the single most important human being on this earth, if one were to make such judgments.  
She loves Edward. ...

Carlisle:  
The silence was awkward. Edward struggled to keep his eyes on the road, glancing apologetically at me every few seconds. He knew there was nothing he could say, though; I didn't even know what I wanted him to assure me of. Esme would be safer once this was taken care of? That Bella was important enough, that she deserved this? That killing James was the right thing? Part of me knew that was the case. Another part insisted that this was wrong, that there had to be another way.  
_Oh, really, and what way is that?_  
I frowned, crossing my arms over my stomach. All this indecision was making me feel ill. I hated it; not having an answer, nor the time or resources to find one. Some great, inspiring leader I turned out to be.  
"What's on your mind, pops?" Emmett asked, leaning forward to tap me on the shoulder.  
"Oh..."  
"Complex, wordy ways of blaming himself for everything," Edward explained for me, with the dryness of a joke without humour.  
"So the usual," Emmett shrugged. He cuffed me on the shoulder in a brotherly and laughed. "Loosen up, man. Have some fun. This guy's gonna give us a chance to use our full potentials. Isn't that what you always say?"  
I couldn't help smiling.  
"I'm glad one of us will be enjoying ourselves," I said.  
"Yeah, now that's more like it." Emmett laughed, and Edward and I joined him with a little less enthusiasm.

...  
"Over there," Edward said, pointing with one hand as he turned the wheel with the other, pulling the car over to the side of the road. Emmett immediately headed to the back of the Jeep to get the bags of equipment we would need to destroy the body and fabricate evidence. Edward shot off into the trees without waiting for his brother, and I had to follow; Edward was our only way of finding James, and he was faster than the both of us. Even at my full speed, I could only just keep him in sight; he was far too anxious to bother slowing down for us.  
_Edward, wait. We must stick together._  
I stopped, and Edward appeared beside me a moment later. He looked mad, but he understood where I was coming from. A second or so later, Emmett arrived with the backpack and duffel bag. Edward was quick to lay out a plan. No doubt he had been formulating it on the drive.  
"I'll go ahead, Carlisle in the middle and Emmett at the back, incase James doubles back," Edward said. "There's an abandoned hut over there -" he gestured north-east "- which we'll try and get him to. If not, we may have to go undercover in the city. He was planning to do so himself, and we don't want to let that happen - Laurent was right; James is just as good at fitting in as we are. Maybe even better."  
With that, he turned and sped off, determined not to let James outside of his three-mile mind-reading radius. Preparing for a grueling day of wild-goose-chasing at break-neck speed, I sprinted after my oldest-yet-youngest son.

...  
Hours later, when the sun was high in the sky, Edward finally relented - temporarily, of course. I was glad for the respite, however short; I wasn't puffing for breath or any of that, but it had certainly been a strain to try and keep up. I was feeling the burn, as they say.  
Sticking close to each other, we went for a quick hunt. Edward was the first finished of the three of us, and yet he seemed to have fed the most too. He wanted to make sure his senses were at their strongest to protect Bella. Watching the determination in those wary eyes made me even more certain that this - saving Bella, making sure the two of them could stay together - was the right path. _Yours is a dangerous love, my son,_ I told him as we set off again._ In the near future, it could cost you both more than you can imagine right now. Don't be scared. Everybody makes sacrifices for love. Love is always worth it._


	16. Change of Plan

**AN ~ Reminder: www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/~freewritersoneshotcontests - there is some awesome work here guys! ****plz check it out and vote for your 3 faves!**

**This chap: Basically I was working with the phone call in Phoenix to piece together this chapter. Thanks for the floods of info, Steph...not. Anyway, I digress...There is a bit of coarse language in this chap.**

**Reviews: I know it's not full of super-exciting fight scenes but remember a) Victoria and James like to avoid combat and b) the Cullens kinda suck at fighting and I can't drastically injure any of them just yet - I mean come on, we have to leave some climax room for Eclipse and BD! That in mind, how did I do?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight. If I did, I would've put more C+E into it, wouldn't I?**

Chapter Sixteen: Change of Plan

Esme:

"There," I whispered, pointing into the trees. The flash of red was there and gone. Rose and I skidded to a halt, sending up a spray of leaves and twigs, all manner of greens and browns. Victoria's brilliant red hair was hard to miss as it swept past again.

Suddenly, Rose was ripped from my side. With a yelp of surprise and a hiss of anger, she viciously fought the redhead who had tackled her to the ground. No sooner had I registered her presence than Victoria turned from my daughter to me, and swiftly kicked my legs out from underneath me. She screeched with rage as Rose lunged forward, but then disappeared like a puff of smoke.

"AHH!" Rosalie crashed down on top of me just as I was getting back to my feet. The two of us slid several yards through the undergrowth until we were stopped by a large tree.

"Bitch!" Rosalie cursed, spitting dirt and panting with rage as Victoria disappeared into the forest, headed back the way we had come. Our chase had been full of these moments: it seemed Victoria was reluctant to engage in combat. She only wanted to distract us and get away. Rose's eyes narrowed, determined not to let Victoria slip away again.

"What's the plan?" I asked. I could already see one formulating in her mind.

"Victoria's not after Charlie; she's searching for signs of Bella," Rosalie explained. "Charlie is still at risk here, though, and the last thing we need is for Edward's stupid obsession to wind up with someone dead and the family being uprooted again. The second last thing we need is for Edward's plan to be exposed and for the redhead to figure out where Bella actually is – I don't want to lose my sister and waste that girl's life because Edward is too selfish to leave her. You keep watch over Charlie, and I'll go try and track down this redhead. Stop her finding anything. She might find you first, though, so be ready…God, if she hurts you over Edward's stupidity, I swear I'll tan both their miserable hides."

Shaking her head, Rosalie disappeared into the darkness before I could say a word, leaving me to continue to the Swan house alone.

...

When I heard Charlie's truck rumble into the drive a moment later, I took more care in my approach towards the house. I climbed a tree and watched through the window as Charlie micro-waved something from the fridge and sat down at the table, alone, to eat it. I felt a pang of pity as I stared at him through the gray rain that was pattering down between us: he looked so lonely. All of a sudden, I felt very lonely too.

I put my hand into my pocket and felt the cell Carlisle had given me. Should I call? No; the redhead might still be too close. She might hear me. Still…someone had to know what was going on. I slipped the silver cell out of my pocket and speed-dialed Carlisle's number.

"Esme," he breathed, sounding distinctly relieved. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Victoria doubled back, though. We're back in Forks. I'm watching Charlie now. The redhead is gone."

"Why are you whispering if she's gone?"

"Well…I don't know how far she's gone. She was just at the Swan house – she beat us here – but Charlie was at work. He's just got home: he's making dinner. Rosalie's tracking the redhead. She told me to stay back."

"Does Rose have a phone?"

"No; both of ours are back at the house."

"Stay with Charlie. Promise me."

"He won't leave my sight."

"Got to go, honey. Love you."

_Click._

...

Carlisle:

I put the cell phone back in my pocket and raced to catch up with Edward as he veered onto a different course. I recounted the phone call to him, and he nodded.

"I really appreciate this, you know," Edward said. "I wish I hadn't been so foolish. But I can't regret it. I can't regret letting myself fall in love with her. Part of me wished I could; then at least I could hate myself for making you do this."

"You're not making me do anything," I replied. "Where's he headed?"

"Up there, into the pass." Edward gestured to it with a tilt of his head, and we ran off in that direction. Emmett ran a few hundred yards behind us, to make sure James didn't double back.

We paused when we reached the top of a ridge, but I couldn't see any signs of movement.

"Where is he?" I asked Edward, still scanning the forest. Edward shook his head.

"I don't know…I can't hear him. He must have slipped out of range somehow."

"Hey, Ed, what happened to the running?" Emmett asked, appearing behind us.

"He's slipped us," I explained.

There was a scent trail leading us on, but after half a mile it dropped off at an airport. We watched with hopeless dismay as a plane lifted its gear off the runway.

"He's gone," Edward breathed.

"Where do you think he's headed?" Emmett asked, throwing a pebble through the fence and across the runway.

"I don't know," I replied. "He was on the plane, though. But without knowing his full name – the one he bought the ticket under – we can't get information on the flight he was on." _Maybe he's gone back to Forks. Maybe Esme isn't as safe as I thought she'd be. _I whipped out my cell and pressed speed-dial for Alice's.

"I should have called earlier, but we were too close…now we're too far behind!" I blurted, as soon as Alice picked up.

"How's Bella?" Edward asked.

"How's Bella?" I repeated for him. "Edward wants to talk to her."

"Carlisle..." Alice started. She sounded a little frightened. Maybe she had seen something.

"Make sure Bella is safe," Edward growled.

"James slipped us," I said. "Can you be sure to keep an extra eye on Bella?"

"Yes," she replied.

"I don't know how it happened…none of us can figure it out…" I ran through the events of the morning, finishing with how we had followed the trail until it dropped and decided to call her for any leads.

"I just saw him," Alice replied. "He was in a room full of mirrors first, then I saw him running a VCR in a dark room…a different room…Whatever made him get on that plane, it was leading him to those rooms."

"I need to talk to Bella," Edward said.

"Is Bella available?" I asked.

"Yes," Alice replied. Then; "Bella?" and the sound of footsteps. I handed the cell to Edward, and then filled Emmett in on what he had missed.

"So, what do we do?" he asked, once Edward had joined the conversation.

"I say we head back to Forks, just in case," Edward replied.

I sighed, and we took off again at full pace. Just outside of Seattle, the cell buzzed.

"Alice?" I asked, flicking it open.

"Carlisle! This is serious…we need to do something, fast." I clicked it onto speaker, and Edward and Emmett crowded in closer. "My vision…the room with the VCR? It's here. In Phoenix. It's Bella's mother's house."

"We're coming," Edward said. "We're right outside Seattle. We'll take the first flight over. We'll hide Bella."

"Edward, we can't just _leave _like that! What about Rose!" Emmett cried. "The redhead is feral, man. Across the state I can handle. But Phoenix? And what about the sun? We aren't equipped for that! The Volturi will be on our asses for it!"

"I don't want to leave Esme that far behind, either," I said. "Not with Victoria hanging around. But we have to, Emmett. They'll be safe. We'll buy extra clothes in Seattle, and take the next plane to Phoenix, then we'll come straight back."

"Alice? Tell Bella we're coming for her," Edward repeated. Without a word, Alice hung up.

...

It was mid-morning when at last we landed in Phoenix, having left the Jeep in Seattle. Alice and Jasper were waiting for us, a few shades paler than usual. They looked frightened and guilty.

And they were alone.

"Where's Bella?" Edward demanded, looking from one to the other.

"Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry," Alice gasped, throwing her arms around his neck. "Bella called her mother, but she wasn't home, and then her mother called, and Bella was acting all weird and then we got here and she went to get breakfast and she ran off!" Edward pulled Alice's arms away and let her drop to the floor.

"What?" he demanded through clenched teeth.

"It's my fault, Edward," Jasper said, hanging his head. "She said she needed to go to the bathroom…that bathroom has two exits…I'm sorry."

Before Edward could shout at him, Alice meekly held a letter in front of her mate.

"She asked me to give this to you," she said quickly. Edward plucked the letter from his sister's hand and held it out so we could all read it:

_I love you. I am so sorry. He has my mum, and I have to try. I know it may not work. I am so very, very sorry._

_Don't be angry with Alice and Jasper. If I get away from them it will be a miracle. Tell them thank you for me. Alice especially, please._

_And please, please don't come after him. That's what he wants. I think. I can't bear it if anyone has to be hurt because of me, especially you. Please, this is the only thing I can ask you now. For me._

_I love you. Forgive me._

_Bella._

"Where would she go?" Emmett asked.

"The room full of mirrors…" I started, thinking about it.

"Of course," Alice breathed. She and Jasper shared a glance.

"The ballet studio," they said together.


	17. The Ballet Studio

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**This Chap: Again, the books weren't too much help (except for a little bit of dialogue) so the movie gave me a little bit of a visual cue. Nevertheless, it was kinda confusing trying to figure out who goes where!**

**Disclaimer: nor the Twilight movie or book are my property.**

Chapter Seventeen: The Ballet Studio

Carlisle:

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Alice chanted, her head in her hands as the hot Arizona morning sun beat down on the rather conspicuous black car that weaved through traffic.

"Alice, shh," Jasper soothed, reaching forward from the back seat to touch his mate's shoulder reassuringly.

"Which Ballet studio?" Edward demanded. A moment later, he pointed me in the right direction. The tyres made a horrible screeching sound as I parallel-parked at a hundred miles an hour.

Edward was out before the car had even stopped. Emmett, Jasper and Alice quickly followed, leaving me to close all their doors and lock up. With a sigh, satisfied that its job was done, the car let off a puff of steam and sunk a few inches.

_My sentiments exactly, _I sighed, exhausted right to the bone. Unfortunately, _my _job was not yet done.

.o.o.o.

Five marble-skinned predators, we crashed through the skylight and landed in a wall in front of James. The smell of blood was everywhere, and shattered glass covered the floor, but it didn't bother vampire skin as Jasper and Emmett lunged for James. He dodged them and jumped over us. Edward was already facing the other direction, and an angry, desperate snarl erupted from his throat as he saw James holding Bella's bloody wrist, inhaling the scent deliberately, teasing.

Emmett lunged again, knocking James back. Once they were clear of the blood Jasper joined his brother, tailed by Alice. Distraught, Edward collapsed on his knees by Bella's side.

"Oh no, Bella, no!" Edward cried, reaching for her face.

A thudding of footsteps announced James' return, and I whipped around just in time and caught him mid-air, then threw him into the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Nice save, Carlisle," Emmett praised, grinning at me before charging off after James. Sparing a second glance at Edward and Bella, I followed the others. Thankfully, the fight was over before I reached them: Jasper jumped onto James' shoulders and snapped his neck with frightfully little effort. Rubble crumbled to the ground, and a mixture of relief and guilt settled on my shoulders.

In the temporary silence I could hear Bella's drowsy moans of pain.

"Bella, please! Bella, listen to me, please, please, Bella, please!" Edward begged.

Alice and Emmett rounded up some floorboards and covered them in gasoline. They backed up, and I tossed the match, and the back of the room burst into flames. I tried not to think of the fact that there was a person somewhere amidst the fire and rubble. Emmett put his hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, Dad," he said quietly. "It's not your fault."

"_Carlisle!"_ Edward called, his voice wavering with worry. Immediately, all eyes were in his direction. Without a word, Jasper retreated outside to wait, wisely measuring his control. His brother followed, cheerful and supportive all the way, and Alice decided to assist me.

.o.o.o.

Alice and I shot to Edward's side, my eyes already scanning Bella over for the most serious injuries. I ran my hands over her scalp, and she cried out and pushed against me when I reached the wound.

"Bella!" Edward cried in anguish.

"She's lost some blood, but the head wound isn't deep." I kept my voice calm out of habit and my thoughts methodical for Edward's sake. "Watch out for her leg; it's broken." A strangled cry of rage slipped out of Edward's throat, but I continued my smooth movements. I hoped he would relax.

_You can't do any good for Bella all wound up like that, _I told him gently, starting to test for broken ribs. I pressed two fingers against her side, found nothing broken, and moved them down another inch. I pressed again, and this time she winced away from my fingers, and I added broken ribs to my diagnosis.

"Edward," Bella groaned, so slurred I could hardly make out the word.

"Bella, you're going to be fine," Edward promised. At least he was acting a little calmer. "Can you hear me Bella? I love you."

"Edward," she said again. This time was a little better. I was glad her head was clearing.

"Yes, I'm here," Edward said. He seemed to have regained himself. Beside us, Alice was shaking. She slowly took a breath in, and slowly let it out, enforcing control.

"It hurts," Bella whimpered as I manoeuvred around Edward to kneel beside Bella's legs. 

"I know, Bella, I know," Edward crooned. He turned to me. "Can't you do anything?" he asked, trying not to sound demanding. In Bella's left leg there was a deep cut; thick, dark blood pulsed from her femoral artery, rapidly soaking the thick material of her borrowed pants.

"My bag, please," I requested softly. I remembered leaving it in the Mercedes after work. It would still be there. Alice nodded stiffly. Brave girl.

"Hold your breath, Alice, it will help," I promised. She nodded again, a little more comfortable this time, and disappeared out the door to fetch my bag.

"Alice?" Bella groaned.

"She's here," Edward crooned, daring to stroke a lock of Bella's hair away from her bloody forehead. "She knew where to find you." The tendons in his neck bulged with agony and concentration.

_Edward, son, don't start panicking now. Stay calm. You're doing well, _I told him.

"My hand hurts," Bella choked hoarsely.

"I know, Bella," Edward nodded stiffly. "Carlisle will give you something, it will stop."

Alice handed me my leather bag, and I immediately clicked it open and pulled out a syringe. I filled it with a dose of morphine and when I gave it to Bella she squirmed.

"My hand is _burning!" _she screamed. Clearly we were misunderstanding.

"Bella?" Edward wondered.

"The fire!" She screamed hysterically now. "Someone stop the fire!" She cried out again, a tortured, wordless scream: a tone that I recognised with terror.

"Carlisle! Her hand!" Edward's eyes were wide with horror, focused intensely on a pair of glistening silver and red crescents at Bella's wrist.

"He bit her," I confirmed, appalled. _I can't believe I didn't notice before._ Alice's breath caught. She dropped her hands to Bella's face, wiping away the red liquid before it could get into Bella's eyes.

"You have to do it," Alice insisted.

"No!" Edward bellowed.

"Alice," Bella moaned.

"There may be a chance," I interrupted. _She may not have to be changed at all. If there was something we could do to get the venom out…_

"What?" Edward begged. I wrapped my hands around Bella's leg, trying to stem the bleeding at the same time as ordering all her injuries in order of seriousness and trying to figure out a long-term solution to the leg problem. This would have to be the first priority.

I dove for my bag again, rummaging through it ferociously, unwilling to leave Bella's leg wound open for even the few seconds it would take to calmly search. I found what I was looking for and set to work bandaging Bella's leg, praying that Edward would be patient with me. Alice watched Bella's leg bandage, monitoring how much blood was getting onto it, while I pulled a needle and thread out of my bag.

"See if you can suck the venom back out," I suggested to Edward, who was beginning to look as if he might shatter. "The wound is fairly clean."

Luckily, James hadn't managed to get much venom into her system, but it was still enough for me not to bother with anaesthetic: Bella wouldn't be able to feel the stitches through the flames. This was little comfort as Alice's face dropped.

"Will that work?" she asked, looking between Edward and I, her voice strained as blood started seeping through the bandage. She pressed her fingers to the cut, putting pressure on the wound, and held her breath again.

"I don't know," I admitted. "But we have to hurry," I added as Bella's eyes drifted closed again.

"Carlisle I…I don't know if I can do that," Edward said. The agony was starting to come through again.

"It's your choice, Edward, either way," I said. I hated forcing him into a corner like this, but there was really no other option. "I can't help you. I have to get this bleeding stopped here if you're going to be taking blood from her hand." Bella writhed under my hands, and her broken bones crunched against each other. Even I was surprised at how steady my hands were as I tore away the material blocking my path and started the first stitches.

"Edward!" Bella screamed, forcing her eyelids open and searching with unfocused eyes for his face.

"Alice, get me something to brace her leg!" I commanded, working faster on Bella's stitches. I glanced at Edward.

"Edward, you _must _do it now or it will be too late," I told him.

The doubt and fear in his eyes was replaced with a fierce determination. He picked up Bella's arm, locked his grip on either side of the bite, and pressed his lips to it. A low rumble resonated from Edward's throat, from pleasure or horror I couldn't work out, but it was cut off by Bella's scream. She squirmed against the pain, thrashing wildly. I swiftly finished the stitches and clamped Bella's legs tightly, hoping she wouldn't injure herself further as she struggled. With teeth gritted and eyes dark but strong, Alice was bravely holding Bella's head still. We waited.

.o.o.o.

Eventually, her convulsions lost their aggression. Bella struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Edward…" she mumbled.

"He's right here, Bella," Alice assured her. Edward's low rumble turned into a purr, and his eyes were losing their determination.

"Stay, Edward, stay with me…" Bella begged.

"I will," Edward replied, cutting off his purr. With a surge of effort, he pulled away from Bella's wrist, and Bella sighed.

"Is it all out?" I asked. _You did very well, Edward._

"Her blood tastes clean," he replied. "I can taste the morphine."

"Bella?" I called gently.

"Mmmmm?" she replied drowsily.

"Is the fire gone?"

"Yes. Thankyou Edward." Bella smiled weakly, her dazed eyes fluttering closed for a moment. I sighed with relief, a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

_It worked._

"I love you," Edward breathed.

"I know," Bella replied. Edward laughed quietly, weakened by his ordeal.

"Bella?" I asked again, a potentially extreme detail coming to mind.

"What?" she mumbled.

"Where is your mother?"

"In Florida. He tricked me, Edward. He watched our videos." Suddenly, she tried to force her eyes wider. "Alice!" she cried, trying to sound urgent, though her voice was slurring. "Alice, the video – he knew you, Alice, he knew where you came from." Then: "I smell gasoline."

I glanced over my shoulder. The fire behind us was dying down, and the torn, gnarled, charred wreck of wood, glass and ashes was painfully visible. I wonder what the owners would say to the mess we had caused. Oh well, never mind that now.

"It's time to move her," I said. We needed to get her to a hospital soon.

"No, I want to sleep," Bella complained. I smiled a little at her simple request.

"You can sleep, sweetheart, I'll carry you," Edward soothed. "Sleep now, Bella."

Without a mumble of resistance, Bella slept.


	18. Waiting

**AN ~ ****This chap is kinda short and a little bit fluffy (I just had to take a break between the Twilight and New Moon drama-fests!)**

**S****orry about the lack of updates on my other stories but I've been feeling kinda crappy lately so I don't want to think too hard. That's not to say I don't put time and effort into Stars, it's just that it's already written so I already know (at least in part) what I want to say. Although, I wrote this chapter from scratch just for this version, because I just couldn't help myself! Enjoy!**

**QUESTION: I use a few songs in some of my chaps, but I can't post the youtube links on this site. Would you like me to write out the link (eg www[dot]youtube etc) or just tell you the song and artist so you can look it up? **

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**Happy 235****th**** Birthday Jane Austen!**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and New Moon are not mine**

Chapter Eighteen: Waiting

Carlisle:

Nobody relaxed completely until we had handed Bella over to a legion of competent medical staff. Jasper, Alice and Emmett were stuck outside, of course, but at least they had found something to do: they had elected to fabricate evidence for our cover story with worrying enthusiasm. Edward and I lingered in the foyer, waiting for news. Waiting, waiting, waiting. I'd never been on this end of the hospitalisation process. It was _agonising._

We sat. We waited.

We stood. We waited.

We paced. We waited.

We sat again.

My cell rung and I eagerly flipped it open, only to have to lift it away from my ear.

_"CARLISLE!"_Esme shrieked. "_Mon Dieu. Are you trying to kill me? The fire was you, wasn't it? And James, is he...? Oh God! Bella!"_

"Esme, calm down," I whispered. "James has been taken care of, and Bella is going to be okay."

"_**Going**__ to be?"_

"James threw her around a bit, that's all. We're at Phoenix Medical Centre now."

"_Oh, thank God, oh, Carlisle...Rose, they're okay...Is Edward there? Can I speak to him?" _

I numbly handed over the cell, struck deeply by the worry and relief fighting each other in Esme's voice. I could imagine her pacing, raking her fingers through her hair. I couldn't wait to get back to her. I could hardly stand leaving her in danger like this. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and never, ever, _ever _let her go.

"Doctor Cullen?" one of the nurses stuck her head around the corner. Judging by the fact that Edward didn't bolt out of his seat, it wasn't particularly thrilling news. I went over to check, and found my theory correct: they would have to sedate Bella for a few days.

I reported back to Edward and we lingered some more, quite unsure what to do with ourselves. We couldn't leave: it was too sunny, and my car was not only ruined but also halfway across town, no doubt surrounded by firefighters. Nor was there much point in staying: it was getting more and more difficult for Edward in the hospital, and clearly Bella wouldn't be having any visitors for a while.

"Bella? Bella? Isabella Swan?" A panicked voice demanded as a woman burst through the doorway.

"It's Renee," he explained under his breath. The woman pulled a straw hat off her head and distractedly combed the disturbed wisps of hair with her fingers. Her heart hammered loudly as she looked around, flustered. She saw Edward and I and froze for an instant.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Cullen. I'm Edward's father." I held out my hand and she seemed to miss the objective.

"Edward?" She glanced at him, then back at me. "I thought those two had broken up! That's why Bella's here, right? Oh, dear..." Overwhelmed, Renee all but fell into the chair beside me. She put her face in her hands.

"We had...kind of," Edward started to explain. "Bella got mad and decided to come to Phoenix. Dad and Alice and I came down too, to try and talk her into going back to Forks, but when she came to see us, she...tripped."

Renee looked up. For a moment it seemed as though she didn't believe it, but then she smiled as if she couldn't help it.

"That's so classically Bella," she murmured, shaking her head.

"She fell down two flights of stairs, and went through a window," I finished solemnly. "She'll be sedated for a few days; probably won't wake up until Friday."

"Friday?" Renee repeated. "Oh...My girl, my Bella..." She shook her head and sniffed as she pulled out her cell. After she tapped a reply to the message it held, I offered her a handkerchief. Edward glanced over Renee's shoulder at me as if to say; "are you serious?" but Renee took my offering gratefully.

.o.o.o.

As I had anticipated, Bella woke up on Friday. Edward was, of course, waiting for her. Renee came as soon as she heard the news. Emmett and Jasper waited a few miles out, and Alice and I in the foyer. As soon as Bella was well enough, we were going to take her home.

It didn't take too long. For all the times Bella must have injured herself over the years, she was a fast healer. Of course, when Charlie set eyes on her he melted first and then steeled up, ready to protect his little girl no matter what the cost. We explained the whole story to him - the cover story, of course - and he might as well have been laying roses and sacrificial goats at my feet, the way he treated me. As for Edward: Charlie was as mad as a bull, determined to believe the whole thing was Edward's fault. It was all rather unsettling, and while I'm sure Edward at least partly enjoyed every moment - he did, after all, somehow manage to stay in contact with Bella at all times - I was getting restless.

I arrived home alone: Edward was once again staying to watch Bella sleep. Esme looked as weary as me as she dragged open the door, but the minute she set eyes on me, all the weariness disappeared. She rushed to meet me, took my coat and bag and, surprisingly, dropped them to the floor.

"You're back," she breathed with such delirious happiness that I felt dizzy for a moment. "I don't think a week has ever felt so long. I was so worried, just stuck here, waiting..."

I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her right against my chest, and buried my nose in her hair, breathing her scent in like drug I had gone far too long without.

"You don't have to wait any more," I whispered into her hair. She snaked her arms up and interlaced her fingers behind my neck, guiding me down to meet her. Her cool, sweet lips locked on mine and I shivered with the sensation, closing my eyes to savor it. Without warning, she pulled away. She smiled innocently up at me and batted her eyelids.

"The children are home," she murmured. "Looks like we have some more waiting to do."

We stepped a respectable distance apart and opened the door, but Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie grinned knowingly as they passed. Everyone contentedly dispersed to do their own things, and Esme and I huddled up on the lounge together. I stroked her hair calmly and she purred like a warm, well-fed house cat. I smiled. This time, the waiting wouldn't be nearly so bad.


	19. Happy Birthday Bella

**AN ~ ****This Chap/Reviews: New Moon chapter! Fluff plunges into drama this chapter...it was a challenge but a good experience to write. Let me know what you think!**

**Reminder: www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/~freewritersoneshotcontests to read and vote ppl! Don't miss out on some great writing and the opportunity to vote for your 3 faves! (Just out of interest, has anyone actually checked this out?)**

**Disclaimer: New Moon is not mine. Otherwise Edward would have bloody well called his parents or left a note or SOMETHING when he decided to run off to Volterra. Nice going, Eddie boy. *scowl***

Chapter Nineteen: Happy Birthday Bella

Esme:

Bella's eighteenth birthday snuck up on us all - except, unfortunately for Bella; Alice. Apparently, Bella had specifically requested that we ignore her birthday. Alice, being Alice, had chosen to ignore that request. Carlisle had too, although he was being somewhat more subtle about it than our exuberant daughter.

I took his bag and coat from him, and noticed a slip of card sticking out of his pocket. Carlisle looked nervous all of a sudden and reached for the jacket, but I whipped it out of his arms' distance. The slip of card floated out of his pocket and wafted slowly toward the ground. I snatched it out of the air and examined it.

_THIS IS NOT A TICKET, _it read. _Exchange this voucher at the desk for one Business-class flight to __**Jacksonville, Florida.**__ Valid for one year from purchase date._

I looked up at Carlisle, who seemed to blush furiously - even without the pink cheeks, his embarrassment was obvious.

"She said she didn't want anything, dear," I scolded, trying not to smile at the adorable, childish expression on my husband's face. "Bella feels awkward enough without us buying her things."

"It's not really a _birthday _present, it's a thank you_,_" he explained._ "_Besides, Bella hasn't seen her mother in ages – well, except for the hospital, but that hardly counts. She deserves to go over there at some point, and her mother is probably missing her. Think of it as a present for Renee. Anyway, apparently Florida is nice."

I laughed and shook my head, and Carlisle looked surprised at my apparently sudden change of opinion.

"Well what's she going to do with this one, then?" I pulled a second voucher - an exact copy of his own - from the pocket of my jeans and held the two up together. Carlisle stepped a little closer, and wrapped his arms around me so that his hands touched mine.

"Hmmm..." he murmured, thinking. "Maybe Charlie or Jacob Black wants to go." He gave a non-committal shrug before stepping away from me, sliding his jacket effortlessly from my grasp. We smiled darkly at each other like criminal masterminds: Edward would be the one to use that second ticket.

.o.o.o.

Ten minutes after school was out, Alice came zooming home in Edward's Volvo.

"Well you don't think I'm going to let her weasel her way out of this one, do you?" she said by way of explanation as she darted through the door Carlisle held open, carrying a box far too large to look manageable in her petite arms. She set it on the floor and started pulling out smaller boxes of pink candles. She noticed the thin silver package on the table beside Edward's piano and I think her grin got wider - if that were physically possible.

"What'd you get her?" she asked.

"Tickets to Florida." I grinned at the memory.

"Great minds think alike," Alice remarked: she probably already knew the whole story. "By the way, your cake is ready."

No sooner had the words passed her lips than the timer went off for the oven. I set up the icing equipment, then dashed upstairs to change while the cake cooled. When I came back down, Alice and I iced the cake together. We hadn't thrown a party since 1935, Emmett's last birthday. The excitement was getting to all of us, even Carlisle, but Alice's usual energy was a powerful catalyst to turn excitement into complete lack of coordination.

"No, use the _knife _sweetie," I instructed, passing it to her. "If we did the whole thing with an icing bag, we'd be here 'til Christmas!"

Alice beamed proudly, scooping up as much icing as she could and dolloping it onto the cake, proceeding to smooth it out into a thick, sugary layer of pink.

"That's better," I praised, deciding to remove the icing-covered knife from my daughter's eager hands before she got any of it on the roof. I looked up. _Scratch that; any __**more**__ of it on the roof!_

"Sorry!" Alice squeaked, passing me the knife and reaching for the icing bag.

"Calmly, Alice," I instructed warily. She ignored me, setting the nozzle against the cake and squeezing.

"Oh, I can't bear to watch!" I covered my eyes and felt a chunk of something land on my face. It gradually slid down my cheeks, with the consistency of mud. I opened my eyes to find Alice already offering me a tea-towel to wipe off with.

"Sorry!" she squeaked again, taking the tea-towel back once I had finished removing the last remnants of white icing from eyelashes - luckily, none of it had dripped onto my dress. "Maybe you should take care of the icing. I'll go light the candles."

"NO!" I cried, catching her as she darted out of the room.

"You're right...you light the candles, I'll try and be more..._calm."_

.o.o.o.

Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett arrived home not long before the party, acting strangely secretive about the box they carried between them. I didn't get a good look at it before they disappeared upstairs to change.

Alice put a small package – wrapped in silver to match, of course – beside the plane tickets from Carlisle and I. Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper came downstairs a moment later, the mysterious package also wrapped in silver and left on the table with the other gifts.

"Now, Alice, behave," Carlisle warned as we heard Bella's rather loud truck roll onto the drive. I disappeared into the kitchen and returned with the cake – which, luckily, Alice had managed to decorate quite nicely.

"What happened to not making her feel awkward?" Carlisle teased, scooping me towards him as soon as I had set the cake down.

"Well it's better than giving her a single slice, isn't it? Besides…maybe Charlie or Jacob Black will want some," I replied, teasing back.

"Here they come," Rosalie muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Be nice," I scolded. She and Emmett had been away in Africa – supposedly at Dartmouth College – and had only just arrived back. Rosalie was still bitter about Edward and Bella being together, but I could understand that: she hated being what she was, and she was shocked and insulted by how easily Bella was willing to throw her life away. I simply hoped it wouldn't come down to that, to the change. Things had worked out well so far, after all.

The turn of the handle chased the contemplation of the future from my head.

"Happy Birthday Bella!" we called simultaneously as Bella and Edward entered, practically joined at the hip as per usual. Bella flushed bright red and looked extremely uncomfortable, so Edward stepped in and put his arm around her waist. Determined to be the first to greet them, I hugged Bella – a little hesitant, careful with the fragile girl – and kissed her cheek. Carlisle stepped forward next.

"Sorry about this, Bella," he stage-whispered. "We couldn't rein Alice in."

"You haven't changed at all," Emmett remarked, pretending to be disappointed. "I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are; red-faced as always."

"Thanks a lot, Emmett," Bella replied, blushing deeper.

"I have to step out for a second," he said, pausing to wink conspicuously at Alice. "Don't do anything funny while I'm gone."

"I'll try," she replied, a mischievous glint in her eye as she danced forward to Bella, smiling. Jasper smiled too, but he didn't approach Bella. He was just taking precautions – it was so much harder for him than the rest of us – but I wished he would join in sometimes. I felt sorry for him for having to stay out of the way all the time.

"Time to open presents," Alice declared, guiding – or rather, dragging – Bella to the table where our gifts sat.

"Alice, I know I told you I didn't want anything-" Bella groaned.

"But I didn't listen," Alice interrupted. She picked up the largest, the one from Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper, and handed it to Bella. "Open it." 

Bella tore the paper off, and then stared at the box, confused. She opened it, clearly searching for some explanation, but the box was empty.

"Umm…thanks," she said. Rosalie cracked a smile. Jasper actually laughed.

"It's a stereo for your truck," he explained. "Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it."

"Thanks Jasper, Rosalie – thanks Emmett!" Emmett's booming laugh made Bella laugh too, and Alice grinned even wider as she picked up the next silver package.

"Open mine and Edward's next!" she insisted. Bella turned and glared at Edward.

"You promised," she said.

"Just in time!" Emmett cheered, shoving his way in behind Jasper, who had drifted a little closer to get a better look.

"I didn't spend a dime," Edward assured Bella, stroking a lock of hair out of her face. Her heart jumped.

"Give it to me," Bella sighed, turning back to Alice, who eagerly handed it over. Emmett chuckled. Bella rolled her eyes at Edward as she slipped her finger under the edge of the paper. She jerked it forward to rip the tape off, but instead jumped. She pulled her finger out from the paper and inspected it.

"Shoot," she muttered. I stiffened as the scent of her blood freshened. A paper cut.

"NO!" Edward roared, throwing himself at Bella and knocking her into the table. The glasses shattered around her as everything was knocked to the floor.

Suddenly, I was seeing red.

.o.o.o.

My thirst was no longer a manageable itch, but a mad tiger, desperately trying to charge its way out. I closed my eyes.

_Focus, Esme. You can do this. _I focused on the soothing sounds of Carlisle's reassuring voice as he spoke to me inside my head. The smash of colliding boulders announced that one of us had slipped and been fought back.

_Don't let go of this. You have control. Open your eyes. That's it..._

I slowly opened my eyes. I dared a look at Bella to see the cause of my sudden need, and now saw that the glass she had landed amongst had left blood running from her elbow to her wrist. Suddenly I felt as though someone had just tried to pull my front teeth with pliers. The invisible force willed me forward, begging me to try that rich, luscious red liquid flowing down the poor human's arm.

_No, __**Bella's **__arm. You don't want to do this, Esme! Close your eyes! _

But even the blackness of closing my eyes offered no respite. The burn in my throat roared into life, determined that no amount of positive thinking would quell it. My legs ached with the desire to run forward: it took all my willpower to make myself stand still. Just a few steps...that's all it would take...just a few mere steps between me and this glorious bounty that was so quickly going to waste.

_NO!_

This time it was my voice. A shudder ran through my body, and for a moment I thought I was really going to give in. I threw a hand over my mouth and nose, desperately resisting the urge to breathe. My eyes flew open, trying to escape the nightmare, and I took another look around the room. The splotches of red didn't clear, but a pair of warm, loving golden eyes burned through the haze.

Carlisle, of course, was the only one of us who had retained his composure: centuries of experience in the emergency room were evident in his collected, authoritative tone.

"Emmett, Rose, get Jasper outside," he instructed calmly. He blinked, and I felt a new kind of burn as those reassuring eyes were stolen from me for an instant. When they returned to me, they were so sad, so...disappointed. Did I do that?

_No, no, I didn't mean it...don't look so sad! _I backed up to the door and held it open as Rosalie and Emmett dragged a resistant Jasper into the open air.

The wave of outside air washed the last of the red patches from my vision. I looked again on the scene before me, this time with my own mind. Edward was crouched over Bella, protecting her from me. He and Alice had managed to keep their control, though their eyes had plummeted to black. They were both holding their breaths.

Carlisle's golden eyes still gazed steadily into mine, and I realised I had been seconds away from betraying him and all he had done for me – again.

Bella's eyes were locked on mine, wide with horror. She quivered like a deer in the headlights, helpless, watching the predator before her. Watching _me._

"I'm so sorry, Bella," I cried, ashamed. Why did this have to happen? Why now? Why couldn't it just _work out? _I was sorry to more than Bella. I was sorry to Carlisle and Edward too. To all my children for letting them see me like this - their mother figure, so weakened by such a desire.

Carlisle moved to come after me, but he had more important things to do. I shook my head, begging him to leave me alone, and ran. I ran deep into the forest, taking deep breaths of the cool, damp air, trying to get rid of Bella's scent as my shoulders wracked with sobs.

Crying is not nearly as cleansing without the tears.


	20. Heart to Heart

**AN ~ Reviews: thanks guys! a SUPER-BIG thanks to twiharder2 who has picked up a few little errors for me :)** **This Chap: a REALLY long chapter (for me at least...nearly 4000 words!) I tried to split it but it just didn't work. Carlisle also refers to ice when he changed, rather than fire, but as far as I know, Bella is the only transition the books ever describe more specifically than 'painful,' and I figured everyone probably has different experiences through the change. If I'm wrong, bear with me.****Disclaimer: New Moon and the characters in here are not mine :( The ice idea mentioned above is mine.**Chapter Twenty: Heart to Heart

Carlisle:

For one painfully long moment, I stared after Esme. The terror, the agony on her face was but a stinging memory now; she had probably buried herself amidst the nearest herd of deer by now.

With a quiet sigh, I returned my attention to the fragile situation that awaited my attention. Bella, still as white as a sheet, still gasping for breath, stared after Esme too, her eyes wide with shock but sparkling with sadness. She had such compassion for us...and it had very nearly destroyed her.

"Let me by, Edward," I murmured. After staring me down with his dark eyes, Edward reluctantly moved away.

"Here, Carlisle," Alice offered, handing me a towel before I could ask. I shook my head.

"Too much glass in the wound," I explained, setting the towel aside and tearing a strip off the thinner, lighter, more appropriate tablecloth. I fastened it just above Bella's elbow to make a tourniquet, and kept my hand on her arm in case she felt dizzy. She certainly looked it.

"Bella, do you want me to drive me to the hospital, or would you like me to take care of it here?" I asked gently.

"Here, please," she whispered, still clearly shaken.

"I'll get your bag," Alice offered, disappearing into my study.

"Let's take her to the kitchen table," I suggested to Edward. _You can leave if you want to, son. I'll keep her safe._

Edward didn't take my offer; instead he lifted Bella into his arms and carried her to the kitchen table himself. I followed at a slower pace; using the time to shoo away the fears that had stuck themselves all over me as the family's control had come dangerously close to breaking.

"How are you doing, Bella?" I asked, with a renewed and far more settled calmness in my voice.

"I'm fine," she replied, her voice only wavering slightly. But this was Bella we were talking about: _fine _was never that simple.

Edward placed Bella gently, lovingly, into a chair and perched himself on the edge of the table. I pulled up a second chair beside Bella and retrieved a cotton wool bud and a pair of tweezers from my bag. Forcing myself to ignore the intensity with which the two stared at each other, I carefully began plucking the fragments of glass from Bella's wound. How she managed to fit so much of it in there I will never know, but as the pieces became smaller in size but larger in number, buried deeper and deeper in the cut, I decided to break out the anaesthetic.

"Just go, Edward," Bella sighed, the first sound for several minutes outside of her own breathing and pulse.

"I can handle it," Edward replied stiffly. His dark eyes were burning with thirst and determination to resist, and his jaw locked tight. He spared a moment to shoot me a glance, just to let me know that his words were meant for both of us.

"You don't need to be a hero," Bella objected. "Carlisle can fix me up without your help. Get some fresh air."

_She's right, Edward, _I backed her up as I injected a dose of local anaesthetic to numb the area. Bella winced.

"I'll stay," Edward replied firmly.

"Why are you so masochistic?" Bella muttered.

"Edward, you may as well go find Jasper before he gets too far," I suggested, imagining the shock my more volatile son must have felt when he realised what had happened; what he'd almost done. "I'm sure he's very upset with himself, and I doubt he'll listen to anyone but you right now."

"Yes, go help Jasper," Bella agreed enthusiastically.

"You might as well do something useful," Alice added. I shot her a scolding glance, but Edward had finally decided to listen. He nodded once and disappeared through the kitchen door. Bella turned her gaze to me, and though I wasn't watching her I could feel her eyes track me as I picked up the tweezers again and started removing the smaller pieces of glass. Alice's dancing footsteps followed Edward, and we were alone in the silence.

.o.o.o.

Bella sighed.

"Well, that's everyone. I can clear a room, at least," she said to nobody in particular.

"It's not your fault," I told her, chuckling at the idea that Bella thought it was somehow her fault – and at the fact that Edward was undoubtedly blaming himself. I wondered if he could hear me, if he had noticed this similarity. "It could happen to anyone."

"_Could, _but it usually happens to me," Bella remarked. I laughed again, then the room became silent but for our breathing, Bella's slightly fast heartbeat and the tinkling of the glass dropping onto the table.

"How can you do this?" Bella finally asked. "Even Alice and Esme…" she trailed off, shaking her head in wonder.

"Years and years of practice," I replied. _More like decades and decades, actually…_ "I barely even notice the scent any more."

"Do you think it would be harder if you took a vacation from the hospital for a long time? And weren't around any blood?"

"Maybe," I replied with a shrug. "I've never felt the need for an extended holiday. I enjoy my work too much." _Besides, _I felt like adding, _when you don't sleep at night, you get as much holiday as you want without disrupting your daily schedule._

Bella's stomach churned as the pile of glass continued to build, but she swallowed hard and ignored her queasiness.

"What is it that you enjoy?" she wondered, keeping her eyes on me.

"Hmm," I thought for a while before answering. "What I enjoy the very most is when my…enhanced abilities…let me save someone who would otherwise have been lost. It's pleasant knowing that, because of what I can do, some people's lives are better because I exist. Even the sense of smell is a useful diagnostic tool at times." I half-smiled, because though cancer was a dangerous and destructive thing, often to more than just the patient, I had a strange advantage over it.

I put the tweezers down again and examined the cut, searching for the glass fragments I might have missed. I rummaged through my bag, and Bella looked away as I drew out a needle and thread. So a family of vampires is just fine, but a couple of stitches and the nausea sets in. What a curious girl this Bella is.

"You try very hard to make up for something that was never your fault," Bella mused as I stitched up her wound. "What I mean is; it's not like you asked for this. You didn't choose this kind of life, and yet you have to work so _hard _to be good."

"I don't know that I'm making up for anything," I disagreed. "Like everything in life, I just had to decide what to do with what I was given."

"That makes it sound too easy," Bella objected. I ignored the darker thoughts creeping to the edges of my mind, and completed the final stitch.

"There," I said, snipping the thread. "All done." I wiped the stitches with an antiseptic that smelt strong and bitter. Bella tried not to grimace.

"In the beginning though," she pressed as I taped a piece of gauze in place, her eyes chasing me again. "Why did you even think to try a different way that the obvious one?"

I smiled to myself.

"Hasn't Edward already told you this story?"

"Yes," she replied. "But I'm trying to understand what you were thinking…" she dropped off as my smile disappeared. Dark, blurred memories flashed through my head, accompanied by an ice-cold sensation creeping through my veins, slowly incapacitating me, inch by inch. What I was thinking? I was thinking _run, hide, and don't let Father find me. _Of course, that was not exactly what Bella was after.

"You know my father was a clergyman," I started, rubbing the table down with an alcohol-soaked piece of gauze slightly more vigorously than was necessary. "He had a rather harsh view of the world, which I was already beginning to question before the time that I changed." The screams of innocent people rung in my ears as I put the glass fragments and used gauze into a bowl. I lit a match, and the sudden flare of flames cut the screaming off. Bella jumped.

"Sorry," I apologised. "That ought to do it…" I scanned the table one last time, but it was clean. "So I didn't agree with my father's particular brand of faith. But never, in the nearly four hundred years now since I was born, have I seen anything to make me doubt whether God exists in some form or the other. Not even the reflection in the mirror."

A few days after my change, I had found a full length mirror - cracked and tarnished, falling off its stand - in the abandoned carriage shed which I would temporarily make my home. For a moment, the memory was so crystal clear I felt as if I were standing right there, in place of my old red-eyed self. In my mind, I reached out to touch that terrified, heartbroken face that was reflected back at me, the red eyes of a stranger, a monster, glistening in the cool, dark night.

Blushing awkwardly, Bella examined her dressings and I pretended to search for something in my bag to conceal the sadness in my eyes as I remembered the reflection that had shocked me, wounded me more than my own. The reflection of Esme's terrified face in the pool of blood she had created. The guilt in her eyes as she pushed me away, ignoring help, insisting that she didn't deserve it and at the same time fearing that I would hurt her for her mistake. She had given up long ago on higher beings: _things can only get so bad before you know you've been forgotten, _she had told me. But something - God? Fate? - drove her to talk to me that night, one of the first full conversations we had shared, and some part of Esme healed.

"I'm sure all this sounds a little bizarre, coming from a vampire," I continued, letting the memories dissolve back into the present. "But I'm hoping that there is still a point to this life, even for us. It's a long shot, I'll admit – we're damned regardless – but I hope, maybe foolishly, that we'll get some measure of credit for trying."

"I don't think that's foolish," Bella mumbled. "And I don't think anyone else would, either."

"Actually, you're the first to agree with me," I told her.

"The rest of them don't feel the same?" she wondered. Of course she was thinking of Edward…thinking of how desperately he wanted to stop her being changed.

"Edward's with me up to a point," I explained. "God and heaven exist…and so does hell. But he doesn't believe there is an afterlife for our kind." I turned and stared out the window over the kitchen sink, absently gazing at the darkness. "You see," I made myself finish; "he thinks we've lost our souls."

"That's the real problem, isn't it?" Bella pressed. "That's why he's being so difficult about me."

I turned back to Bella, speaking slowly as I tried to make her understand the seriousness of Edward's beliefs.

"I look at my…_son_ - his strength, his goodness, the brightness that shines out of him – and it only fuels that hope, that faith, more than ever. How could there not be more for one such as Edward?"

Bella nodded in fervent agreement.

"But if I believed as he does," I continued. "If _you _believed as he did…could you take away _his _soul?"

Bella hesitated, stumped. It was an unfair trade, I knew that: she would give her soul to him, but she could never take his. If I had believed what Edward did, I never would have thought about changing Esme. I would never do that to her.

"You see the problem," I concluded. Bella shook her head, and I sighed.

"It's my choice," she insisted.

"It's his too," I said, holding up a hand when she moved to argue. "Whether he is responsible for doing that to you."

"He's not the only one able to do it…" Bella looked over me speculatively, and I laughed to lighten the mood.

"Oh, no," I said. "You're going to have to work this out with _him." _Then I sighed, and I couldn't keep the smile on my face. "That's the one part I can never be sure of. I _think_, in most other ways, that I've done the best I could with what I had to work with. But was it right to doom others to this life? I can't decide." My mind again returned to Esme, from whom I had taken the one thing she craved from her human life…but to whom I had given a second chance at love and acceptance and joy. And to Edward, of course…my mind was never far from my son. He was so young and strong and clever and kind…and though he was dying I took him away from what he believed was his only chance at any kind of afterlife.

"It was Edward's mother who made up my mind," I whispered absently. I realised I was staring into the night again, but this time I didn't turn away. It was so peaceful out there…so beautiful.

"His mother?" Bella wondered quietly.

"Yes. Her name was Elizabeth. Elizabeth Masen. His father, Edward Senior, never regained consciousness in the hospital: he died in the first wave of influenza. But Elizabeth was alert until almost the very end. Edward looks a great deal like her; she had that same strange shade of bronze to her hair, and her eyes were exactly the same colour green."

"His eyes were green?" Bella wondered reverently as she edited this into her image of human Edward.

"Yes…" I replied. The room in front of me shifted, and it suddenly became as though someone was acting out a play in front of me. A motion picture of sorts which I had constructed from my memories: it was a little duller in colour than the vividness of this afternoon's events, but otherwise flawless. There were no blurs, no missing details. Even the atmosphere was right.

"Elizabeth worried obsessively over her son," I explained, watching the sickly woman asking every doctor that passed to tell her of Edward. Most of the time, she was ignored. "She hurt her own chances of survival trying to nurse him from her sickbed. I expected that he would go first, he was so much worse off than she was. When the end came for her, it was very quick. It was just after sunset, and I'd arrived to relieve the doctors who'd been working all day. That was a hard time to pretend – there was so much work to be done, and I had no need of rest. How I hated to go back to my house, to hide in the dark and pretend to sleep while so many were dying." In the vision before me, the 1918 version of myself paced in a small room, hearing every tick of the clock. It wasn't so much a memory as a picture that I had created from my memories.

"I went to check Elizabeth and her son first. I'd grown attached – always a dangerous thing, given the fragile nature of humans. I could see at once that she'd taken a bad turn." The scene before me shifted again, and spread around me as though Bella and I had been put in the middle of a film set. Elizabeth's eyes burned with the fever, and her body trembled violently. "The fever was raging out of control, and her body was too weak to fight anymore," I narrated.

"She didn't look weak though, when she glared up at me from her cot," I continued, watching my twentieth century self stop by the bed – and for a moment my image flashed back to a memory, and Elizabeth's determined green eyes pierced mine again.

"'Save him!' she commanded me in the hoarse voice that was all her throat could manage." Her voice ran under mine as I spoke her words. "'I'll do everything in my power,' I promised her, taking her hand." My fingers twitched as I felt her burning skin. "The fever was so high, she probably couldn't even tell how unnaturally cold mine felt: everything felt cold to her skin. 'You must,' she insisted, clutching at my hand with enough strength that I wondered if she wouldn't pull through the crisis after all. Her eyes were hard, like stones – like emeralds. 'You must do everything in _your _power. What others cannot do, that is what you must do for my Edward.'" Her burning hand vanished, and I felt the same terror as I had all those years ago. "It frightened me. She looked at me with those piercing eyes and, for one instant, I felt certain she knew my secret. Then the fever overwhelmed her, and she never regained consciousness. She died within an hour of making her demand." The strength, the life, drained from those eyes…it was a terrible sight.

"I'd spent decades considering the idea of creating a companion for myself," I explained to Bella, listening instead to Edward Anthony Masen Junior fight for breath against the draining illness. "Just one other creature who would really know me, rather than what I pretended to be." Even among my own kind, I had to pretend. I had to sit back and let them kill people because it was not their fault, what they'd become, and they didn't see the reason in pretending they were anything otherwise. "But I could never justify it to myself – doing what had been done to me." I flexed my fingers to rid them of the constricting, biting ice that was creeping in.

"There Edward lay, dying," I continued, bringing myself back to the hospital wing where Edward struggled for life in the floods of death that surrounded him. "It was clear he only had hours left. Beside him, his mother, her face somehow not yet peaceful, even in death.

"Elizabeth's words echoed in my head. How could she guess what I could do? Could anyone really want that for her son? I looked at Edward. Sick as he was, he was still beautiful. There was something pure and good about his face. The kind of face I would have wanted my son to have.

"After all those years of indecision, I simply acted on a whim. I wheeled his mother to the morgue first, and then I came back for him. No one noticed he was still breathing: there weren't enough hands, enough eyes, to keep track of what half the patients needed. The morgue was empty – of the living, at least. I stole him out the back door, and carried him across the rooftops, back to my home.

"I wasn't sure what had to be done. I settled for recreating the wounds I'd received myself, so many centuries earlier in London. I felt bad about that later: it was more painful and lingering than necessary." I winced when my recalled Edward screamed in my ear, but I don't think Bella noticed.

"I wasn't sorry, though," I continued. "I've never been sorry that I saved Edward." The smell of bleach – and behind that, Esme – interrupted my memories, and I realised Bella was staring at me with wonder and shock and sympathy. I smiled at her, to comfort both of us.

"I suppose I should take you home now," I offered.

"I'll do that," Edward said, walking unusually slowly into the room. His eyes were dark, and there was a bitterness in them he tried to hide.

"Carlisle can take me," Bella objected.

"I'm fine," Edward replied stiffly. "You'll need to change anyway. You'd give Charlie a heart attack the way you look. I'll have Alice get you something." He turned and strode back through the kitchen.

"He's very upset," Bella said, her voice quiet but anxious.

"Yes," I agreed grimly. "Tonight is exactly the kind of thing he fears the most: you being put in danger, because of what we are." I flinched at the memory of the horror in Esme's eyes, how close she had been to Bella…how quickly it would have been over if she had taken a single breath…

"It's not his fault," Bella said.

"It's not yours either," I rebutted. Bella looked away uncertainly, and I offered her my hand to help her up. We returned to the main room, where Esme was mopping the floor where Bella had fallen with bleach.

"Esme, let me do that," Bella offered, blushing again.

"I'm already done," she replied cheerfully. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. Carlisle sews faster than any other doctor I've had." Esme and I chuckled, and at that moment Alice and Edward returned. Edward lingered in the corner, darkly expressionless, but Alice danced right up to Bella.

"C'mon," she said. "I'll find you something less macabre to wear."

They disappeared upstairs, and Edward moved over to the door like a ghost. Esme glanced up at me, apology and worry in her eyes. I kissed her head and stroked her hair, and we stood in silence as Bella and Alice came back downstairs.

"Take your things!" Alice cried, scooping up the remaining packages and Bella's camera and putting them in Bella's good arm as she walked warily towards Edward. "You can thank me later, when you've opened them."

"Goodnight, Bella," Esme said quietly.

"Goodnight, Bella," I said, glancing at Edward who was still tense and somehow separated from the rest of us.

.o.o.o.

"I'm so sorry," Esme choked, when the room was empty.

"You didn't do anything dear," I assured her.

"I nearly did," she said, horror in her tone.

"Everyone nearly did," I said calmly. "It's not your fault."

"But it _nearly was. _I stayed in the room longer than anyone else, I was going to take a breath, I was going to _let myself. _You should have seen Edward's eyes, Carlisle. He would have killed me before I got to her. I know he would have. I don't want to do that to him."

"Esme, shhh," I crooned, moving to kneel in front of her. She tried to turn her head away from me, but I took her hand in mine and she stopped squirming. "Edward's just upset right now – tonight was frightening for all of us. It'll be fine. You'll see. He'll be back in the morning, Bella will be fine and you'll be able to bake all the apology cakes the oven can handle." Esme cracked a smile, and I stood up, still holding her hand in mine. She didn't let it go.

"Jasper?" she wondered quietly. Alice and Jasper appeared at the top of the stairs, and Jasper haltingly followed his pixie down to the floor.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, looking at me with hollow eyes. "It was wrong of me to be that close, Carlisle. I put so much at risk." He shook his head, and Esme threw her arms around her son.

"Don't blame yourself," she said. "It's not your fault."

"It nearly was," Jasper replied, pushing her away. Esme let her arms drop, and Jasper disappeared. Alice started after him and stopped in the kitchen doorway.

"Sorry," she said to us. "Got to-" she gestured behind herself, and Esme nodded. The room was empty again.

In fact, the whole house was.

.

.

.

**Question from the author: in the coming chapters I use songs, so would you prefer for me to a) give you the title and author so you can just Google it or b) type out the link for you**


	21. Leaving

**AN ~ Reviews: thanks everyone! Last chap was not one of my faves to write, I didn't really get to explore much, but I am glad those two got their heart-to-heart. What do you guys think of the song I use this chap?**

**This Chap/Disclaimer: A completely invented chapter by me (well, you know, except for the characters etc etc). I know nothing about Ithaca, so forgive me if it's not nice in September, it's just where Edward happened to mention, at the end of New Moon, that Carlisle and Esme went. I also don't own the song, **_**When You Say Nothing At All, **_**but I love it!**

Chapter Twenty One: Leaving

Carlisle:

The house was very quiet after that. We whispered within our mated pairs, but otherwise barely interacted at all. Finding my usual enthusiasm for work the next morning was surprisingly difficult: I didn't like to leave Esme alone in this state, but she insisted she was fine and that it wouldn't last.

Two excruciatingly long days of uncomfortable near-silence passed, and though the others spent time with him at school, Esme and I only caught brief glimpses of our son when he came home to change. After the second day, he came straight home from school. As she had been for the last two days, Esme was waiting for him, drifting her fingers absently across the untouched piano keys. I had only been home for a few seconds when Edward arrived, and there was a defeat in his eyes that made me glad I had traded this afternoon's shift.

"I can't do this," he murmured, stopping only a few feet into the house. Esme rose from the piano stool like a ghost, and drifted over to my side. I was still clinging to the handle of my black bag with one tight fist. I realised, with a strangely absent feeling, that I was panicking. That I already knew what was going to happen, what he was going to say. Edward was giving up, throwing in the towel.

Leaving.

"Edward, please, it's only been two days-" I started.

"Next time Bella might not _have _two days! She might not even have two _seconds!"_ he objected. "You saw how wild Jasper was; how much effort everyone had to take. And it was still too close. I mean, humans die from concussion, right? What if the table had landed on her?"

"Edward, I really think you're overreacting," Esme said quietly.

"_OVERREACTING?" _Edward roared, turning on his mother. "You know how close you were, Esme. You know how much you wanted to kill her. How can you _possibly_ want Bella to stay after that! She saw the look in your eyes, Esme. It frightened her, and you know it did."

"Edward, that's enough!" I barked, dropping the bag and stepping in front of defensively. "Of course she knows that, but you frightened Bella that night too – we all did. It was right for her to be scared, and perhaps she always should have been. Don't you dare put this on Esme's shoulders."

"I'm sorry, it was wrong of me," he muttered an apology, lowering his eyes. He glanced forlornly at Esme, who nodded her acceptance of his silent apology. "But Bella shouldn't be caught up in this. I should have left while I had the chance. I'm sorry."

"Edward, you haven't done anything to apologise for," Esme crooned, stepping out from behind me and coming to my side once more.

"It's not what I've _done, _Esme. It's what I'm going to do. We have to leave. All of us. As soon as possible."

"But-"

"I'll deal with Alice. Jasper already knows this is what's best – he left, didn't he?"

Esme sighed and ran upstairs, and Edward stared after her until she disappeared, then turned to me.

"I'm sorry for doing this to both of you. You don't deserve it."

"Life doesn't consider what we do and do not deserve, Edward. You're an example of that. You deserve Bella, but I suppose I have to agree she is in danger around us. I don't know if leaving is the right thing to do, but for the moment it is our only option. I'll go back to work, plant some excuse…but please, talk to Esme. This has been so hard on her."

"I know."

I picked up my bag and disappeared out the door, then dumped it on the passenger seat as I twisted the keys in the ignition. Once the engine was running, I put my forehead on the steering wheel. _You knew this was coming, Carlisle,_ a little voice mocked. Yes, I knew, and I had to accept it…but we had been so _close. _Edward had been so close to experiencing the joy Esme and I did. I hated to see that torn away from him: he didn't deserve it. But life, as working in a hospital tends to remind you, is not about what one does or doesn't deserve.

With a sigh of exasperation, I wrenched the car into gear a little more violently than necessary and sped away.

.o.o.o.

Dr Gerandy, the doctor I had asked to cover my shift, was just about to drop some papers off at my office when I arrived.

"Oh, Carlisle," he greeted, surprised by my presence. "I thought you weren't coming in this afternoon."

"I wasn't," I replied, "but there was a position open at Huntingdon, and it had to be a snap decision. I'm sorry I didn't call, I just…I don't want to make a big production of it." I hung my head. I couldn't look at his eyes. I hated doing this; it got easier and easier to act, but it never felt easier inside. And now, so sudden, under such terrible circumstances...

"That's understandable," Dr Gerandy said after a moment of disappointed silence. "So…um…will you be telling the rest of staff yourself or shall I?"

"Could you? I would be ever so grateful. Tell them I'm sorry for the short notice."

"Of course. Uh, here. I suppose you should take a look at this, since you're headed up there." He shuffled past the papers he had been about to give me and retrieved a copy of the Los Angeles Times. Across the front was written _"Los Angeles commuter train collides with freight train; over two dozen killed." _Insatiably curious, I took the paper from Dr Gerandy and scanned through the article as he walked off, even though sunny LA was the last place I would really go.

I turned around a moment later – I don't know why; it's not as though I could tell Dr Gerandy I wasn't actually going to Los Angeles – but I was alone in the hallway. I shook my head and pressed open the door to my office. I gathered my personal effects into a box and lifted my painting off the wall, then quietly left the building with a nod and a wave to the receptionist. Some of the staff watched me leave, but none attempted to catch me up. I returned to my car undisturbed, and drove away in silence.

.o.o.o.

Esme was waiting out the front of the house, with most of my study and her things packed into boxes at her feet. My father's crucifix was the only thing not in a box. She handed it to me when I stepped up to join her.

"Edward's gone to school," she said sadly. "He's going to tell Bella this afternoon."

"Are you sure you don't want to take anything else?" I asked, looking around at the boxes that scattered the area. I was sure there were at least twice as many when we had arrived.

"I can't," she replied, shaking her head. "Can we just go?"

"Of course." I kissed her forehead gently, finding it hard to watch the sadness swimming in her eyes. Esme picked up a shoebox of photographs and followed me down to the car, putting it on the front seat. I put my father's crucifix in the space in front of the back seats, and we slowly, silently filled in the rest of the car with the remaining boxes.

Esme sat in the passenger seat, her hands resting on top of the shoebox, and when I sat in the driver's seat beside her she put her head on my shoulder.

"This silence...I can't bear it," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut in agony. Her fingers reached out for the radio, and though she couldn't see it, the movements were familiar to her. In moments, a soft, caressing melody washed through the car. [Song: _When You Say Nothing At All_, Ronan Keating]

Esme rubbed her cheek against my shoulder like a cat, finding a comfortable place to rest it, and I shifted one hand to rest it on top of hers, letting my eyes linger on her face for a long moment.

"_It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart…"_ Ronan Keating's voice drifted through the silence as the car pulled out of the driveway. _"Without saying a word, you can light up the dark…Try as I may I can never explain what I hear when you don't say a thing."_

Though she was pretending to be asleep, I noticed Esme's lips curve into a beautiful, humoured smile.

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me,_

_there's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me,_

_the touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall._

_You say it best when you say nothing at all_

I had to return some of my attention to the road now, but that didn't stop me noticing as Esme let her hair cascade down my chest. I sighed, this time in content.

_All day long I can hear people talking out loud_

_But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd_

_Try as they may they can never define_

_What's been said between your heart and mine._

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me,_

_there's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me,_

_the touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall._

_You say it best when you say nothing at all_

I realised I was smiling as I returned my eyes to my wife's peaceful face, because after all that had happened we still had each other, and we still found comfort in that. It didn't matter where we were going, with what, or why. We had to trust in Edward that he would make the right decision, that Bella would be all right. And we had to trust in each other, in the faith we had in each other. In the support we offered for each other.

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me,_

_there's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me…_

Esme opened her eyes when she felt my gaze. Her golden eyes looked up into mine, and she smiled at me.

_The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall._

_You say it best when you say nothing at all_

"Where shall we go?" Esme asked quietly.

"Ithaca, I think," I replied distantly. "It's nice there this time of year."

"That sounds wonderful," she agreed. I moved my hand from her hands to her cheek, lifted by her peaceful smile, as she closed her eyes again.

_That smile on your face_

_The touch of your hand_

_Let's me know that you need me_

_You say it best when you say nothing at all_

_You say it best when you say nothing at all…_


	22. Heals All Wounds

**AN ~ I'm going to be away, so no more updates until at least Thursday. Sorry! Although, I leave you on a sweet (if not resolved) note, so hopefully that will do for now. Looking forward to an inbox-ful of reviews when I get back! I love them guys!**

**PS - I will try and get Edward home for Christmas!**

**Disclaimer: New Moon is not mine**

Chapter Twenty Two: Heals All Wounds

Esme:

October

I keep telling myself this is for the best, but I miss Bella terribly. I'm missing something I never really had, but I can't help it. It will go away...eventually.

I don't feel I've given up too much, but I can't help but worry for Edward: moving was normal for us, and the others had been quick to find things they enjoyed in our new place, but Edward drifted passionlessly. Until one day...One day, he left to hunt Victoria, and we haven't heard from him since then.

November

Edward called at last, to tell us he was in South America. I asked him how he was doing, and he said he was doing the best he could. He thought I was talking about Victoria…otherwise, he pretended that's what he thought. I didn't press him; I handed him over to Carlisle. They too stayed away from the topic of Bella, but when Edward hung up Carlisle nearly cried. He doesn't like to show it - he knows Edward will be back eventually - but sometimes it overwhelms him. He misses his son terribly, perhaps even more than I do.

This month, Carlisle started working nights at a hospital in Ithaca and teaching medicine at a university in Cornell part-time. Occupying his mind has done something to help, and he tells me that I make him feel a great deal better, which I'm glad of. Still, I can't help praying that Edward returns soon...

December

Edward visited for Christmas! He looks haggard, exhausted, but at least he could come see us. I hate watching the pain he's in, but it's better than imagining something worse. It was so good to see him again.

Edward's visit has helped us all in a bizarre way. I feel stronger somehow, more optimistic. I picked up a job restoring a beautiful seventeenth century house up north, and I find myself smiling more often these days. Alice is researching her family – so far she has tracked down the asylum she was left in, and that she had a little sister called Cynthia – while Jasper studies philosophy at Cornell. Rosalie and Emmett called from Paris: they're having a great time.

January

Edward left us just after New Year's, looking a little better for the time spent with his family. There is much to be desired, but he's coming along. I think, once he's dealt with Victoria - the greatest remaining threat to Bella - he will feel more at ease. My son would never forget his mate, but maybe once he knows she'll be safe, he will find the strength to let her go.

The Project House is coming along beautifully. I wish I could be there for the owners to see it, but it's sunny all week. Nevertheless, I'm in a good mood. The new year has brought a lot of light and inspiration into our lives: things are looking up. Rosalie and Emmett are enjoying the Black Forest, Alice has discovered a niece in Biloxi, Jasper is finding his studies quite meaningful, and Carlisle is finding teaching quite to his liking. I knew he would.

February

Edward called in again towards the end of this month. He doesn't look as bad as last time, but his eyes are black and empty and he still seems distracted. The owners of the Project House came to check up on its progress, and this time I could go with them: after seeing Edward so…_wounded…_it was a welcome distraction, even if not a complete one.

The owners, Mr and Mrs Lewis, have a lovely young daughter named Ebony, who looks remarkably like Bella would have at that age. Ever since I met the dear, memories of a happy - a _complete _Edward keep floating back into my head. I realise I haven't fully let go of Bella yet. As much as we pretend, neither Carlisle nor I can let go of the feeling that Edward, our Edward, had been so close to _this. _So close to finding something he deserved without having to _achieve _it.

Moving around as often as we do, you learn to let yourself forget - sometimes you have to force yourself. It's a strange thing, but I believe I have let myself forget Bella herself but not what she did to Edward. The glint in his eye, the smile on his face, the weight of loneliness finally lifted from his heart. No. I will never forget that. Thank you, Bella.

March

Rosalie and Emmett are back from Europe now. We are all together again, with the one exception, and spending the spring break in Denali with Tanya's family. It is good to have some people to talk to who we don't have to pretend around. We went swimming in freezing lakes, hunting in the middle of the night; we played Scrabble in six languages and chess with eight boards.

I called Edward the other day, and he didn't pick up. Carlisle calls a lot too, but Edward never answers. I don't think he even has his phone with him.

Carlisle puts more vigor into his attempts to occupy himself than anyone else in the family. The others find distraction easy, but Carlisle has an analytical mind. Over the years he has trained himself to focus, to never forget. He's in no danger of depression, but he cannot forget that he's waiting. Waiting for Edward.

.o.o.o.

In mid-March, Carlisle and I left for a week-long 'hunting trip,' at the suggestion of the sisters: it was my opportunity to provide Carlisle with the distraction he so desperately needed. I only hoped it would work: Edward was a deeply engrained part of Carlisle's life, so I had my work cut out for me to make him forget.

"He'll be all right, love," Carlisle said, oblivious to my current concerns. He was smiling as he danced across a patch of ice, leapt onto a log and offered his hand to help me up after him. Perhaps this will be easier than I thought. "Edward can take care of himself. He's found a distraction; hopefully getting rid of Victoria will make him feel a little better about Bella's well-being."

"You don't believe that," I replied, springing up onto the fallen tree. "And how do we know Bella is well? She could be mad. She could be catatonic. She could be lying in some ditch, drained of blood by that wild redhead Rose and I never found." I cringed away from the thought, and slipped sideways. Carlisle, as always, was there to catch me.

"Edward's tracking the redhead," Carlisle replied softly, steadying me. He kept his hands on my arms for a moment before turning and dropping down the other side of the log. "Bella wasn't mad when Edward left; just upset. And she wouldn't be catatonic. She's only known him a few months: it's very unlikely Edward made that deep an impression on her."

"Edward's practically catatonic," I mumbled, remembering the emptiness in his eyes with a sting as I dropped to the ground after Carlisle. He turned back around and pressed his lips to mine.

"Edward can take care of himself, dear," he repeated. "I think it's time for a change of subject."

"Like..?" I raised an eyebrow, subtly pulling Carlisle through a clump of trees, onto a ledge that looked out over a beautiful, ice-covered lake, straight out of a Winter Wonderland exhibit. The moon's soft silver light reflected lovingly from my husband's honey-brown eyes.

"Like…how lovely you look in the moonlight…" he murmured, brushing a lock of hair from my face. He moved his hand around to the back of my head, and leaned in for a kiss.

"Careful," I warned. He paused, confused, my lips only a fraction of an inch away from his. I stepped forward and he stepped back, dangerously close to the edge. I picked flirtatiously at his shirt, and added;

"The water's cold." I flashed a grin at my helpless husband, and Carlisle cried out in surprise as he slipped off the ledge and crashed through the ice below. He came up, laughing, and wiped the water from his eyes.

"I'm going to get you for that one," he declared, before disappearing under the water and swimming out of sight. I heard the crack of ice as he came up again, and suddenly the ledge collapsed from under me. I fell straight down, and landed in Carlisle's waiting arms.

He lowered me gently into the hip-deep water beside him. Chunks of rock and ice drifted around us: we had cracked the ice over half the lake, revealing a dark blue, velvety liquid.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I sighed, trailing a finger through the water.

Carlisle sighed reverently, catching my hand and pressing it to his lips.

"You and the sisters planned this, didn't you?" he asked gently, still admiring my hand. "To distract me."

"Is it working?"

I batted my eyelids like a silver screen movie star and Carlisle smiled fondly. He lifted one of my arms about my head, and I twirled under it, my skirt billowing through the water.

"Now, Miss Rogers, where were we?" Carlisle asked, slipping an arm around my waist and pulling me towards the deeper water.

"Something about me and the moonlight..?" Innocently twisting a lock of hair around my finger, I swum a mermaid's circle around my love struck husband.

"Ah yes, I remember..."


	23. The Call

**AN ~ from the research I have done, Alaska is 10hrs behind Italy so it would be dark when they get the call. Also, my Italian translation was using good old Babylon (*cough*) but only short phrases so hopefully it's reasonably accurate**

**Disclaimer: New Moon is not mine, nor is babylon, or the theory of regression under stress.**

Chapter Twenty Three: The Call

Carlisle:

"You've got snow in your hair, dear," I pointed out. Esme laughed and flicked it off, dancing over to me. I smiled: it was amazing what four days had managed to do for her. She was much brighter now; younger, more energetic. I felt much the same.

My cell rung and I flipped it open to a string of unclear words from Rosalie. I laughed.

"Rose, calm down. If Emmett broke another wall down, you really should be calling Tanya, not us."

"It's not that." Her voice was urgent and...devastated. The smile slipped off my face. Esme immediately joined me, leaning in to listen at the other side of the phone.

"Carlisle, it's Bella," Rose explained. "She's dead: Alice saw her jump off a cliff. I've already called Edward, but I thought I should tell you two. You loved her. But do you see now, what we did to her? _Do you see?"_

Esme let out a strangled gasp. I sat her down before she fell, and she stared straight ahead. Her eyes were far away.

"I'm so sorry Bella," she cried, burying her face in her hands, sounding as ashamed and anguished as that night that had started this whole catastrophe.

"We're coming," I said to Rosalie. She hung up, and I left the cell beeping for a long moment, hardly able to believe what she had just told me. After all this work, all this time…Edward's painstaking efforts to protect her...how could things just go up in smoke like that?

"Did…did she say she's _already called _Edward?" Esme wondered in a small voice, looking up.

"Yes," I replied, tucking the cell back into my pocket. I froze, realising the implications of what I had just said. Edward had already been hard enough on himself over Bella's hospitalisation; this news would drive him mad...it would _kill him. _

I turned and ran for the Denali estate, glad Esme couldn't see the twist of anguish on my face.

"Then maybe some _good _can come of this," she blabbered, running behind me, her voice shaking with the fragility of her hope. "Maybe Edward will come _home."_

I shut my eyes, embracing my wife's hopeful words with all my being, willing myself to believe her.

Esme and I ran to the house as fast as we could. I pushed the pace but never felt as though we were running fast enough. I knew we couldn't do anything: Edward would easily beat us to Italy - not to mention, if we managed to catch up to him, he would run the second he heard our intentions. Maybe I was overdramatising things; maybe he really would come home. Either way, we were powerless. We were as useless at the house as we were in the middle of the forest, but still we rushed. We had to. That way, at least it felt like we were doing something.

.o.o.o.

Esme:

We burst over the threshold together and stumbled through the foyer, practically falling over each other as we came to a halt in the living room. It was only dimly lit, even though the main light and three lamps were on: it seemed the beams were being sucked into the night.

The Denalis were out, apparently. Rosalie and Emmett were gone too. The room was empty except for Jasper, who was staring at the Denalis handset – which was sitting face-up on the coffee table in front of him - without expression. No air of calm exuded from him, even though he surely knew Carlisle and I needed it. Given his often unquestioning generosity with his gift, I knew this meant something was severely wrong.

I gasped, realising that Alice wasn't in the room.

"It's Bella," he said neutrally. "She's not dead. Rosalie told him though. She told him, and he believed her." 'Him' being Edward. I forced myself to draw breath.

"Where-?" Carlisle started, suddenly fearful.

"Italy," Jasper said. "He isn't there yet, but he's on his way. Alice and Bella are going to stop him. He's going to beat them there, but Alice thinks they might get there in time. She…she said to _prepare _you. She says the odds aren't good."

"Oh, God grant me strength," Carlisle murmured, shuddering. "I mean I thought it might happen, but knowing that he's actually _going..._"

"No," I shook my head, refusing to believe it. I needed an answer. No: I needed someone to tell me this wasn't happening. I needed Edward. I snatched the phone off the table and my fingers flew over the buttons.

"Edward, please pick up," I prayed as it rang.

"_Ola!" _A friendly, thickly accented voice greeted._ "You've reached Rio De Janeiro Airport Lost Property. Are you the owner of this mobile telephone?"_

"No," I choked. It wasn't in answer to her question.

"_Hello? Bonjour? Ola?"_ The attendant hung up. I was frozen, watching as the device slowly slipped out of my hand and fell onto the carpet, beeping regularly.

"I'll go get Rose and Emmett," Jasper offered quietly, as Carlisle hung up the phone and came to sit beside me. "Don't be mad, she feels awful."

Jasper left.

.o.o.o.

"Edward is going to Volterra," I choked. It was the first words I had said in an hour. I couldn't say anything else. I spoke those words because I wanted to believe they were just words. I wanted to erase all meaning behind them from existence. I wanted to erase them from my mind, from my heart, and from my eyes. "Edward…is going…to Volterra…Alice…and Bella…are going after him."

_Breathe, _I told myself. And I did, but the crisp Alaska air did nothing to clear my head.

"It's Saint Marcus Day," Carlisle muttered, shaking his head. He flipped the handset slowly, then he turned the phone on and brought it up to his ear.

"Hello, I'm looking for a flight to Seattle," he requested, his voice as calm as if he was organising a business trip or a holiday. "As soon as possible please…No, I don't mind...Of course. Thank you." He hung up and sighed.

"Come on, love. Time to go," he encouraged, his hand resting gently on my arm. I cringed away from his touch, but I didn't let him see it as I nodded and stood. There was no reason left in my head. Blurred memories intermingled with the present until I couldn't sort out what went when. All I knew was this pain...this gut-wrenching pain...

"My son," I choked.

"Come on, Esme," a soft voice whispered, gentle hands encouraging me forward. Three people – strangers, yet familiar - were already waiting in the car with sullen expressions on their tired faces.

"She's shocked," the man with me explained to them, prying my fingers from his shirt.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled emotionlessly, the first thing that came to mind. I kept expecting someone to shout at me to snap out of it, or slap me across the face or charge at me with a knife in an attempt to get a reaction from me, but they didn't. The man in front of me ran his hands down my arms.

"Esme, look at me…" he said. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"I have. I've done something _terrible." _I was shaking violently now. I pulled myself out of his grasp, frightened. "I must have done, to deserve this."

"You don't _deserve _this, Esme," the golden-eyed man assured me. He moved to come after me, and I screamed.

"NO! Don't touch me, don't hurt me…" I pressed myself up against the car, and felt more eyes on me.

"No one is going to hurt you," the man promised, reaching for me slower now. He looked at me with steady, kind eyes. "Look at me, Esme. Trust me. It's Carlisle." I nodded, knowing even through the numbness that I had to trust this man.

"Carlisle," I mumbled as his fingers caressed my hands reassuringly. That name…that name meant something to me. It was the name dearest to my heart. It was the name that started breaking through the shock. _Wake up, Esme. You're safe here. You know these people. It's Carlisle_. When Carlisle's hands disappeared, an ache formed in my chest. I felt like someone had ripped something out of me. In my head, I cried out for Samuel, but the rest of me knew it wasn't Samuel I had lost this time. It was Edward, dear Edward...

"Oh, Esme, I'm sorry!" Rosalie wailed. "This is all my fault!"

"No, Rose," I replied, though I was hardly in the state to judge that. At least now I remembered what century it was. And Carlisle…that name, that man, was my everything. The three 'strangers' in that car were my family, my beloved family - Jasper and Emmett in the front seats, and poor Rose in the back. I sat down beside her and she pressed her face into my shoulder with a heartbroken whimper.

"Mum, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," I assured her. I hated to see my daughter like this; she had such a strong, independent nature usually. "Besides…they'll stop him, you'll see."

I nodded to myself, breaking through the numbness at last and suddenly finding pain as my most recent memories came flooding back. Bella was dead and then she wasn't, and Edward was headed for Italy and Alice was chasing him and we were all stuck here, useless. I took a deep breath, trying to fix a more positive outlook on things. Alice and Bella would save Edward, and everything would be fine again, and we could fix this together.

"They'll stop him," I repeated in a breath as Carlisle joined us and pulled the door shut. He was on the phone again, arguing - or, more accurately, pleading - with someone in Italian.

"_Devo parlare di Aro, {I must speak with Aro}" _he begged. "_Per favore, __consentitemi di parlare per lui. {Please let me speak to him} Non, non facciamo che!{No, don't do that!} Non facciamo-"_

He snarled briefly under his breath and snapped his cell shut.

"It's Saint Marcus day," he murmured. "They'll stop him."

But I don't think he was talking about Alice and Bella.


	24. Arrivals from: Florence

**AN ~ It's Xmas Eve tomorrow (well for me anyways) and I just got back from my holiday where the beds weren't all that great so I'm pretty tired and headed to bed. Anyway, I promised to bring Edward home, so here he is - Merry Christmas, all!**

**Disclaimer: New Moon = not mine. Otherwise Edward wouldn't have been such an arrogant jerk and run off to Volterra without leaving a note. Yeah, you're devastated, I understand, but would it really have been so hard to drop an 'I'm sorry' in the mail?**

Chapter Twenty Four: Arrivals from: Florence

Esme:

We arrived just in time for the final boarding call, but even then, the waiting time was excruciatingly long. How we managed to pass all those people with so few questions was beyond me...that's not to say we didn't leave a wave of curious murmurs in our wake. Nevertheless, we found our seats in silence and prepared for take off, patiently sitting through the safety demonstrations and such. Usually, I would have been praying that the anxious Emmett didn't take the cabin apart, but now I hoped that _I _didn't.

Vampires weren't as affected by the changing pressure zones as humans; in fact, there was something thrilling about the sensation. Today, though take-off seemed to last hours, not one second of that time was spent enjoying the power of flight.

Once we were in the air, and the seatbelt sign had finally extinguished, I went to Carlisle's cabin. He was leaning forward in his chair; his head buried in his shaking hands. Almost instinctively, I ran my hands assuringly down his arms and took his hands in mine. When I touched him, he stopped shaking. Carlisle stood and drew me closer, and took a deep breath with his nose in my hair.

"I'm sorry I let this happen," he murmured.

"I'm sorry too. And I know you'd never harm me – forgive me. It must have hurt, to have me act that way towards you after all you've done for me."

"Of course I forgive you," he kissed my cheek. "It's not your fault, what happened to you, and people in shock often regress to something that has shocked them before. Forgive me for frightening you."

"That wasn't you. It was Charles that frightened me."

"I know that…I love you," he whispered. "No matter what."

"No matter what," I repeated, looking up into his sad golden eyes. "I love you too." We might lose our son today - he might already be lost - but no matter what, we would be there for each other. We had to stay strong, keep the family together, hold up the foundations as, together, we endured this devastating blow.

Safe in Carlisle's arms, I conjured up a memory, bringing my son to life in my head for want of seeing him in the flesh.

_I carefully tiptoed down the stairs, my sharp newborn senses picking up every tiny shift in the wind, every scratch in the forest outside, every dust mote floating around me. I paid no attention to these. With my __spacious mind, I could shove them aside and still have plenty of room for other things._

_Right now, that other thing was the beautiful melody wafting through the house. From somewhere amidst my blurry human memories, I recognised the piece, but I couldn't recall its name. Nevertheless, the musician was excellent. I wondered if Carlisle, my gracious host, was as enthused by the arts as he was by science. In the days I had spent self-exiled to my room, I had spent several hours pondering the strange man who had welcomed me into this life. Now, it seemed, I was to meet another._

_The young musician had wild bronze hair, and passionate butterscotch eyes which fluttered closed every now and then as he lost himself in the music. He was about Carlisle's height, but had a slightly bulkier build. His hands, however, were as gentle as Carlisle's but not quite as tame._

_"Bother!" he exclaimed, letting the instrument fall away from his chin with an awkward twanging sound, followed by a creak and a dull thud. Clenching his teeth in frustration, he moved over to the table, where a set of thin, curved sections of wood, various glues and an assortment of tools awaited him. It was from here, sitting down to begin his repairs, that he saw me in the doorway. Instantly, his exasperation was replaced with a welcoming smile._

_"You must be Esme," he said, getting up and brushing his hands on his pants to clean them a little. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week, my name is Edward."_

_He held out a hand and I timidly shook it._

_"Don't be embarrassed, I'm glad you like my music," Edward assured me. "I'll play some more for you, if you'd like."_

_I leapt at the chance, but before I could say anything, Edward smiled wider._

_"Oh, and...I don't know if Carlisle's told you - I can hear your thoughts."_

_Leaving me staring in awe at a now vacated space, the musician sat back down at his table and began the meticulous process of repairing his violin. _

"You know, he's still got that violin," a familiar voice whispered in my ear as the memory dissolved into the present.

"You knew?" I turned around to face Carlisle, who looked tenderly down at me. Our minds were so synchronised it never failed to astound me.

"I don't know how..." Carlisle tried to explain. I missed the glimmer of enchanted fascination that his eyes usually lit up with. "Your eyes go distant, and you get this little smile on your face, and something about your expression is different for that particular memory."

"One of life's mysteries I suppose..." Too tired for conversation, I shut my eyes and rested my head on Carlisle's chest. My body wouldn't grant me the serenity of sleep, but maybe I could find some respite here.

"He might still have a chance, you know," Carlisle said softly. In his voice, there was a whisper of hope. I clung to it like I clung so desperately to the man who had voiced it.

_Edward, please come back._

The rest of the trip passed in silence. At last at the airport, Rosalie and Emmett waited outside with Carlisle's car: Alice had left it in the airport parking lot. Jasper wandered around a little, trying not to appear too anxious, and Carlisle and I waited quietly in the shadow of a large pillar. We watched the humans shuffle about and tried to keep our eyes away from the Arrivals board. Its flickering, ever-changing times and inconsequential announcements only served to disappoint.

"Do you think they'll get out?" I asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "We must have faith, sweetheart."

He wrapped his arms around me and we risked a glance at the board. This time, it didn't disappoint. **Arrivals from: Florence **flashed on the display. Jasper halted in his pacing and looked up too, and the three of us waited with bated breath as the doors opened.

A honeymooning couple with that enchanted look still in their eyes...

Two tired but happy parents trying to rein in a rambunctious toddler...

A small group of excited but uncertain Scandinavian backpackers searching for their tour guide...

A Vietnamese family cheerfully greeting their relatives...

All these people, all these sounds, faded into the background when the three - yes, all three - familiar faces stepped out into the foyer.

Alice, Bella and Edward crossed the floor toward us.

.o.o.o.

As soon as I saw them, I reached out for Bella. She was the only reason Edward was still in this world: only Bella in the flesh would have made him come back to us. I didn't ask Edward to remove his arms from my path, despite the imbalance of the hug I tried to give the exhausted human by his side. If they weren't there, she'd probably fall over: he was practically carrying the poor girl.

"Thank you so much," I told her, trying to infuse my words with as much passion as I could. I don't think I'd ever manage to express how infinitely grateful I was to her for saving my son – in more than just the literal sense. My feelings about Bella, the knowledge that she was The One for Edward, were more firm than ever. As of this moment, she was one of us, and we would fight and die for her.

Finally relinquishing my hold on Bella, I turned to Edward, and threw my arms around him, and I was nearly crying all over again. For a long moment, I savored the knowledge that my son was back, safe, home.

"You will _never _put me through that again," I almost growled. _How could you, Edward? Without even__** telling**__ us? No call, no note...My God, if you ever do that again I swear I'll kill you myself!_

He grinned, repentant.

"Sorry, Mom," he apologised.

"Thank you Bella," Carlisle said. "We owe you." His hands were still shaking, but now from sheer relief.

"Hardly," Bella mumbled. Her eyelids drooped but she forced them open, only to have them fall again.

"She's dead on her feet," I scolded Edward, prying her from his grasp. "Let's get her home."

Between us, Edward and I half-dragged the exhausted but stubborn Bella through the airport, with Alice, Jasper and Carlisle following behind. When we reached Rosalie and Emmett, Bella made an effort to stand straight. I was surprised she could even still see them through those drowsy eyes. When he saw Rosalie, Edward stiffened, glaring at his sister.

"Don't," I whispered. "She feels awful."

"She should," Edward snapped, making no effort at discretion. Rose frowned, but accepted her brother's wrath without debate.

"'Snot err fault," Bella mumbled, falling against us again.

"Let her make amends," I pleaded Edward. "We'll ride with Alice and Jasper."

"Please, Edward," Bella murmured drowsily. Edward shot me a dark look – not quite a glare; he knew I didn't deserve that after what he'd put me through today – and, with a sigh, towed Bella towards the Mercedes.


	25. Propositions

**AN ~ ****This was a challenge to write. The whole thing is so much more complicated than Bella or Edward see it. Hopefully I did a good job of getting this across.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own New Moon BUT I did have a freaking awesome-turned-horrible dream-turned-nightmare that I won a set visit to Breaking Dawn where I got to meet the whole cast AND Steph and then I got a migraine so I missed my plane and had to give my tickets to my sister who doesn't even like Twilight! Grr!**

Chapter Twenty Five: Propositions

Carlisle:

"I feel like it should be all dilapidated," Esme murmured, looking around in awe as we walked slowly into the house. There was a thin layer of dust over everything, a few cobwebs here and there, but apart from that nothing had changed. It was quite eerie.

In the main room, the boxes we had taken with us were stacked. There was a message from their deliverers - the Denalis - on the landline telephone on the kitchen bench.

"_Jasper called to let us know why you had to disappear so fast," _Tanya began. "_I'm guessing you guys got one hell of a fright, but it's good to know Edward's okay. Anyway, we figured you'd want your stuff back so we had it mailed over."_

_"We kiiiinda might have broken in," _Kate put in. _"You guys are terrible housekeepers. Where's the key to that poor family's house?"_

_"Kate, I'm sure they weren't thinking about that," _Eleazer pointed out from somewhere across the room.

_"__True, but-" _Kate tried to argue.

_"Guys! Phone!" _Tanya snapped, silencing her companions. She returned to the mouthpiece with a more somber tone. _"If you want to talk about it, we're here for you - any and all of you, any time. We're family."_

The message cut off, and we stood in silence, sparing a moment to consider and appreciate the generosity of our dearest friends - or, perhaps more fitting, the Alaskan half of our family.

At that moment, Rosalie and Emmett entered.

"So what happened?" Rosalie asked, leaning her shoulder against the door frame. "Start at the beginning – when you figured out I was wrong. I want to know _everything. _It's my stupid fault this even happened."

"Rose, don't," Alice sighed. She pulled in a chair from the dining room, and Esme and I sat on the lounge, sending up a little puff of dust. Jasper stood behind Alice's chair, and Emmett stood with Rosalie just inside the doorway. Alice opened her mouth to begin her tale, and frowned, unsure of where to start.

"Start from Forks, Alice," I prompted. "What did we miss?"

"Well, I originally went to Forks to see what I could do to help Charlie…I didn't dare hope Bella was alive," she explained. Just like that, she was off like a rocket. "But it wasn't Charlie's car that pulled into the drive. Bella came in. That friend of hers – Jacob Black? – he's a werewolf, by the way.

So anyway…"

Alice launched into her story so vibrantly and dramatically one would have been totally convinced that she was right in the thick of it and yet would never believe that she was but one false move from a swift death. I listened intently, hearing every detail. The werewolves being back; the phone call; the plane trip; stealing the car; rushing to Volterra. At some points in the story, I could feel myself going even colder and more pale than usual. Aro must really be intrigued by Alice: no other vampire I know could have wheedled their way out of that mess.

At last, Alice reached the happy ending, and Rosalie managed a smile.

"That's better," Emmett commented, kissing his wife's cheek. "I hate seeing you so torn up." She chuckled and elbowed him.

"That's more like it," he said with a grin.

"Come on," she suggested. "I need something to eat."

Alice and Jasper disappeared upstairs, and Esme and I to my study to put all my books back in their shelves. An hour or so later, we were interrupted by a familiar scent. I was surprised at the time – it was only two in the morning – but I was glad of the smell.

"Bella," Esme breathed, smiling.

"Carlisle? Esme? Rosalie? Emmett? Jasper? Alice?" Edward called.

"Go on, honey, I'll be down in a moment," Esme assured me. I ran up behind Bella and had to check myself before I strangled the life out of her with a hug. She could have disappeared to safe, vampire-free Florida but she was back in Forks - better, back in _this house, _Edward at her side as he was no doubt determined to be for as long as he could manage it.Mind you, he didn't look too pleased with the objective of this early morning visit.

"Welcome back, Bella," I greeted with a smile. She jumped and twisted around to face me. "What can we do for you this morning? I imagine, due to the hour, that this is not a purely social visit?"

"I'd like to talk to everyone at once, if that's okay," she replied. "About something important."

_Her changing? _I speculated, glancing at Edward. He didn't need to reply: his resigned expression gave me my answer.

"Of course." I nodded. "Why don't we talk in the other room?"

I led the way into the dining room, flicking lights on as I walked. I could hear the rest of the family converge as I pulled a chair out for Bella at the head of the table. She was trying not to look too stunned at her suddenly large audience.

I sat down to her right, Edward to her left, and the rest of the table filled in. Alice was grinning at Bella – apparently she already knew what was going on – and Rosalie was smiling tentatively. I knew she'd never hated the girl…but I knew she wouldn't like what was about to be discussed. Emmett and Jasper looked curious. Esme was worried and excited at the same time. I bit my lip, uncertain about how to feel.

"The floor is yours," I invited, nodding towards Bella. She swallowed hard, and her heart started beating faster. She took a deep breath to slow it down.

"Well…I'm hoping Alice has told you everything that happened in Volterra?" Bella inquired.

"Everything," Alice confirmed.

"And on the way?"

"That too."

"Good. Then we're all on the same page." I tried not to stare at her too intensely. I knew this was difficult. Bella's heart pounded in her chest, an even beat now but louder than before.

"So, I have a problem," she said at last. "Alice promised the Volturi that I would become one of you. They're going to send someone to check, and I'm sure that's a bad thing – something to avoid. And so, now, this involves all of you. I'm sorry for that." Bella continued to speak, her eyes sweeping around the table as I tried not to remember my time with the Volturi.

I had seen their version of justice, and I didn't doubt they would kill Bella and anyone who got in their way. Aro's friendship was a valuable commodity in this world, but if you offended him it meant nothing. I knew that. I wouldn't be stupid enough to challenge that: not for much. For Bella, though…I would throw it away for her if it came to that.

I wouldn't have to, though, if Bella was one of us by the time Aro sent his messenger. Edward grimaced, and I pushed the notion to the back of my mind. I hated to consider it, I hated to hurt him like that, but to be honest, it looked like the best choice...if not the only one. I looked between the two of them: Bella would be sacrificing all ties with her father, her mother, nearly her entire current life. Yet she wanted this, she wanted Edward even though she knew the cost. If she was willing to trade lives, did we even have a right to stand in her way? But if she _did _trade lives, would either of them come to regret it? Would Edward ever forgive himself?

"…but if you don't want me, then I'm not going to force myself on you, whether Alice is willing or not." Bella's words interrupted my thoughts. It sounded like she was going to put a question to us. A vote. My stomach flipped over - a disconcerting feeling even though I hadn't used it in a few hundred years.

"Please, let me finish," Bella continued. "You all know what I want, and I'm sure you know what Edward thinks too. I think the only fair way to decide is for everyone to have a vote. If you decide you don't want me then…I guess I'll go back to Italy alone. I can't have _them _coming _here." _My eyes snapped open. I stared at Bella, trying not to panic.

"Taking into account, then," she concluded, "that I won't put any of you in danger either way…I want you to vote yes or no on the issue of me becoming a vampire."

I shut my eyes tightly for a moment. _I'm not ready for this! _With the others, it had been a split-second decision; life or death. This was entirely different. This was...this was...

I opened my eyes again, and Bella gestured for me to begin.

.o.o.o.

I couldn't open my mouth. I tried to swallow, but my throat was bone-dry. What could I say? _"No, Bella, this is a stupid idea and if you were any normal human you'd have moved out of the country by now?"_ No, although that was probably true. _"Yes, Bella, I'd love to – here, sit down and tie your hair up?" _I glanced at Edward.

"Just a minute," he interrupted. "I have something to add before we vote." Bella sighed. Edward ignored it.

"About the danger Bella's referring too: I don't think we need to be overly anxious. You see, there was more than one reason why I didn't want to shake Aro's hand there at the end. There's something they didn't think of, and I didn't want to clue them in." Edward grinned. It was such a change from his previous expression that Esme jumped.

"Which was?" Alice prodded, her expression skeptical.

"The Volturi are overconfident – and with good reason. Do you remember Demitri? He finds people – that's his talent; why they keep him." he glanced at Bella. She shuddered: Edward took that for a yes. The hope of a second option that Edward's plan had instilled in me slowly melted away.

_Edward this is ridiculous. Demitri's never failed. __**Ever.**__ For you, of all people, to risk Bella, of all people…_

"Now, that whole time we were with any of them, I was picking their brains for anything that might save us, getting as much information as possible," Edward went on animatedly. "So I saw how Demitri's talent works. He's a tracker – a tracker a thousand times more gifted than James was. His ability is loosely related to what I can do, or what Aro does. He catches the…flavour? I don't know how to describe it…the tenor…of someone's mind, and then he follows that. It works over immense distances – but after Aro's little experiments, well…" Edward shrugged, and under different circumstances I might have smiled at the apparent simplicity of the solution. What stopped Edward and Aro reading Bella's mind and blocked Jane's illusion of torture might also keep Demitri from finding her.

"You think he won't be able to find me," Bella stated dryly.

"I'm sure of it," Edward replied smugly. "He relies totally on that other sense; when it doesn't work with you, they'll all be blind."

_That's all well and good, Edward,_I interrupted,_ but what if it doesn't work? You're being the overconfident one now, son. I beg you, think this through…_

Edward ignored me.

"And how does that solve anything?" Bella asked.

"Quite obviously." Edward was happy to explain. "Alice will be able to tell me when they're planning a visit, and I'll hide you. They'll be helpless: it'll be like looking for a piece of straw in a haystack!" I frowned when he and Emmett exchanged a smirk: he was enjoying this a little too much.

"But they can find _you," _Bella pointed out.

"And I can take care of myself," Edward reminded her. Emmett laughed and reached across the table, offering a fist.

"Excellent plan, my brother," he said enthusiastically. Edward stretched his arm out and smacked Emmett's fist with his own.

"No," Rosalie objected, crossing her arms firmly.

"Absolutely not," Bella agreed.

"Nice," Jasper murmured, nodding approvingly.

"Idiots," Alice muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Esme just glared at Edward.

Bella straightened in her chair.

"All right, then," she said. "Edward has offered an alternative for you to consider. Let's vote."


	26. Verdict

**AN ~ kind of a part II to the last one, so I might as well post it now too**

**Disclaimer: neither the book nor film of New Moon belong to me**

Chapter Twenty Six: Verdict

This time, Bella looked to Edward to start.

"Do you want me in your family?" she asked. He was unfazed by her wording; her attempt to guilt him into saying yes.

"Not that way," he replied firmly, his eyes as black as pitch and as hard as stone. "You're staying human."

She nodded once, appearing very controlled – I was impressed, especially given her galloping heartbeat – and looked to Alice.

"Alice?"

"Yes." Alice smiled.

"Jasper?"

"Yes," he replied, though his tone was graver than Alice's. He too knew what we were dealing with here; he had experienced managing newborns much more than I had. Again, Bella suppressed her reaction.

"Rosalie?"

Rose hesitated, biting her lower lip, and her eyes skipped over to my face for just an instant.

"No."

Bella kept her face blank and turned to move on, but Rosalie raised both hands, palms forward, in a pleading gesture.

"Let me explain," she offered. Bella hesitated.

"I don't mean that I have any aversion to you as my sister," Rose said. "It's just that…this is not the life I would have chosen for myself. I wish there had been someone there to vote no for me."

She looked at me apologetically, and I smiled slightly to let her know I understood. Bella nodded slowly and turned to Emmett.

"Hell yes!" he cried enthusiastically. "We can find another way to pick a fight with this Demitri."

Bella was still grimacing at that when she turned to Esme.

"Yes of course, Bella," Esme agreed, smiling warmly. "I already think of you as part of my family."

"Thank you, Esme," Bella replied.

I turned to Edward as Bella turned to me. He knew my answer, obviously: his cold dark eyes were suddenly burning with anguish and rage. I sighed. My earlier panic had dissipated. My mind was made up. After considering the events of the last six months, there was only one way I could possibly answer this question. No matter how much it hurt him now, this was for the best.

"Edward," I began. _Please understand…this is the only way._

"No," he growled. His jaw was strained tight, his lips curled back from his teeth, furious at my betrayal.

"It's the only way that makes sense," I insisted, though the pain in his eyes made me want to turn away. _Why are you doing this to me? _he seemed to wonder – those dark, conflicted eyes spoke volumes.

"You've chosen not to live without her," I explained, "and that doesn't leave me a choice."

_I love Bella, yes, but she is not the only one who must be considered. I will not lose my son. Please understand, Edward._

For a moment, Edward glared at me. Then he shoved away from the table and stalked out of the room, muttering and snarling under his breath. I reached out to stop him, but he didn't hesitate. He was gone.

"I guess you know my vote," I sighed, slipping my hand into Esme's and drawing them both onto my lap. She glanced at me sympathetically, supporting my decision even though she felt bad for Edward.

"Thanks," Bella mumbled, dazed. A loud crash made Bella jump out of her trance. "That's all I needed," she said, speaking quickly. "Thank you. For wanting to keep me. I feel exactly the same way about all of you, too."

Esme sprang out of her seat and threw her arms around Bella, ignoring the shock on her face.

"Dearest Bella," she breathed, glowing. Bella recovered from her shock and hugged back. I couldn't keep the smile off my face, not when Esme was so ecstatic. The weight of this enormous decision was at last lifted from our shoulders...but only for a moment.

"So, Alice, where do you want to do this?"

.o.o.o.

I froze. Esme glanced at me anxiously. Alice's eyes flew between Bella and I.

"No! _No! NO!" _Edward bellowed, charging back into the room. He was bent over Bella before she had time to blink. "Are you insane? Have you _utterly lost your mind?_

Bella cringed away, her hands over her ears, and I tensed, ready to knock one of them out of the way if things got out of hand.

"Um, Bella," Alice stammered. "I don't think I'm _ready _for that. I'll need to prepare…"

"You promised," Bella reminded her, glaring from under Edward's arm.

"I know, but…seriously, Bella! I don't have any idea how _not _to kill you."

"You can do it," Bella encouraged. "I trust you."

Edward snarled in fury, and Alice shook her head quickly.

"Carlisle?" Bella turned to look at me, and Edward grabbed her chin in one hand, forcing her to look at him, and held the other palm-out towards me, blocking me out. There was a low growl in his throat.

"I'm _able_ to do it," I replied carefully. "You would be in no danger of me losing control."

"Snns grd," she replied – "sounds good," I guessed, muffled by her limited jaw movement.

"Hold on. It doesn't have to be now." Edward was speaking through clenched teeth.

"There's no reason for it not to be now," Bella objected, her words again obstructed by the lack of movement.

"I can think of a few."

"Of course you can. Now let me go."

"Oh, dear," Esme fretted, darting back to my side. Edward let Bella go, and folded his arms across his chest. The two of them were kindred spirits - in all, it seemed, except this one crucial matter.

"In about two hours, Charlie will be here looking for you," Edward said. "And I wouldn't put it past him to involve the police."

"All three of them," Bella added sarcastically. She frowned.

"In the interest of remaining _inconspicuous,_ I suggest that we put this conversation off, at the very least until Bella finishes high school and moves out of Charlie's house." Edward was still talking through gritted teeth, but at me now. His angry, hurt, defeated eyes bore into mine, pleading for some kind of recognition.

"That's a very reasonable request, Bella," I replied truthfully.

"I'll consider it," she replied stiffly. Edward relaxed and unclenched his jaw, and Esme let out the breath she'd been holding.

"I should probably take you home," Edward said, anxious to leave before I could agree to anything else. He was going to absolutely furious when he got back. "In case Charlie wakes up early."

"After graduation?" she checked, looking to me.

"You have my word," I vowed.

"Okay," Bella said. "You can take me home."

Edward rushed Bella out of the house before anyone could say another word. Rosalie stood up, leaning on her arms on the table, and sighed at me. She stalked out of the room, and Emmett jogged off after her, trying to spread his enthusiasm. Jasper looked solemnly across the room at me.

"I know what I'm dealing with," I told him.

"Good," he replied with a nod.

"Sorry to put you on the hot seat like that," Alice said sheepishly. "I _did _promise her…I just didn't expect it to be so soon…"

"That's fine, Alice. It's better now than later."

"Right. Um…Jazz…maybe we should get something to eat?" Jasper nodded quickly and lingered only long enough for Alice to reach his side.

"I can't believe that just happened," Esme said, still staring after Bella and Edward. "I don't know what to think. Am I being selfish? Maybe I am. There's so much she won't get to do…but she won't get to do it anyway if she's dead. And Edward...he must feel terribly betrayed. I hope he'll forgive us. But I don't feel like I said the wrong thing. Oh, my, I am terribly confused - who are we supposed to be fighting for?"

"I honestly have no idea." I shook my head. "But we're all on the same side really, aren't we?"

"I suppose." Esme sighed and looked down at her feet. She took a deep breath, then turned around to face me. She looked up at me with sad eyes, worried over what I must have sacrificed to make that decision. Until now, I had only changed those on the verge of death. I would never do this to anyone who had another choice. I heard her questions before she asked them.

"How did you feel? Offering to change her after all of us? It was very valiant of you, but...why?"

"As I said - Edward has chosen not to live without her, and that means there is no other choice for me. Bella will be changed eventually, even if I have to do it myself. No matter what it costs me."

Esme smiled a conflicted smile, and lifted my golden crucifix pendant out from its hiding place below my shirt. She kissed it softly.

"Whatever you have to do, He'll forgive you," she whispered, tucking it back in. She put both hands over the place it sat under my shirt, as if to protect it. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I won't have to do it," I said, glancing at the doorway.

"What do you mean?"

"Bella wants Edward to do it, and he'll do what _she _wants. Every man has a price – vampires are no different. Three hundred years of loneliness-" I pointed to myself, "- or the love of his life. Edward will come around. Trust me."

"I do."


	27. Grounded

**AN ~ sorry for the relatively slow updates lately (as opposed to 2 or 3 a day) but the Eclipse section has had to go through the press a few times. Updates should be a little more frequent now that I've gotten ahead on my editing :)** Chapter Twenty Seven: Grounded

Esme:

"Stupid mutt," Edward muttered, glancing at the clock as he paced the living room, agitated. "I can't _believe _he thought of that. Motorbikes. Ridiculous, Bella." He shook his head and glanced at the clock again.

"Edward, you're lucky you even get to see her," I reminded him, using a knife to encourage the sliced carrot to leave the chopping board in favor of the pot of stew on the stove.

"Lucky wolf-boy didn't put her in hospital, you mean," he hissed aggressively.

"Edward, really!" I scolded, slamming the chopping board back on the bench. This unending rivalry was getting on my nerves. "Think of what we've driven Charlie through! It's no wonder he wants Bella safe. As for the werewolf - he's Bella's friend. I'm sure he's just doing what he thinks is best. Besides, they're helping us protect her from Victoria. Be nice, Edward."

"Be _nice? _He got her grounded! On purpose! He planted those bikes specifically so Charlie would find them."

"I'd be doing more than grounding you if I found a set of deathtraps you'd been hiding," I pointed out.

"Yeah, well, the range of deathtraps for me is considerably smaller than that of a human. And Bella could kill herself with a paperclip if she tried. That's not my point. My point is; that conniving, jealous mutt has contrived the perfect way to keep Bella and I apart for as much of the day as possible."

I grinned.

"Sound's like someone's been bitten by the green-eyed monster."

"Yeah...well...hmph."

Edward shot out the door as soon as the clock ticked over to three minutes to seven. He'd make it to Bella's just in time. Alice cruised into the driveway a moment later, and came in with a smile. This regime had been going on for weeks: Charlie only allowed Edward to see Bella between seven and nine-thirty p.m in the confines of the Swan house. Alice, however, could visit whenever she liked. Charlie liked her.

"Hey, Ma, what's cookin'?" Alice greeted, glancing at the pot to try and guess.

"A beef stew," I told her. She frowned.

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just felt like cooking. It takes my mind off Victoria."

"Ah," Alice nodded understandingly. She leant on the bench and sighed heavily. "I wish school did that."

"Has your Sight been bothering you?"

"Nah...well, yeah, sort of. I saw Victoria try again, this weekend I think. It doesn't help that reception is dodgy. Stupid mutts."

I sighed. Clearly it was not going to be as easy as I thought to get my family to accept the pack and the help they offered us. I didn't like it either, but it was our safest option. Did nobody understand that?

"I'm gonna go change," Alice informed me, headed towards the stairs to renew her outfit - why, I will never know.

I danced over to the doorway as Carlisle pulled in. He was late, his eyes dark. I tried not to let it bother me. He came home late a lot lately, and that wasn't a problem, but I wished he wouldn't spend all those evenings on surveillance. He felt it was his duty, as the leader, to take as many shifts as he could, even though there were all of us on rotation and the wolves on call.

"Edward's left, I presume?" Carlisle raised an eyebrow at the clock, which reached seven exactly as we watched.

"Of course," I said, smiling, abandoning my previous train of thought.

"Fancy a game of chess, dear?" he invited, gesturing to the open board on the coffee table in the living room. I smiled, and we sat down at opposite ends. As per usual, he beat me.

"I'll get you one day," I promised, getting up to scoop the beef stew into a large container. I stored it in the freezer for now: I'd think of something to do with it later.

"Oh! Chess!" Alice exclaimed, dancing down the stairs as I returned to the living room. "Carlisle?" He shook his head. Alice huffed: nobody would play with her except Edward, because she could see exactly what you were about to do and easily avoid any traps.

"Esme?" Jasper invited. I nodded, and set up my side of the board again. As I had expected, Jasper beat me too.

"Good game, ma'am," he complemented.

"No replacement for military training, aye?" I smiled at him.

We were interrupted by a very loud and very familiar engine groaning and wheezing into the drive.

"I thought she was grounded," Rosalie said, wandering in from the hunt.

"Well, she wouldn't be if it weren't for that stupid wolf," Emmett growled. "I really liked having her around the place. Life was so much more thrilling."

"Is it really her?" I wondered.

"Of course," Alice replied with a grin. "Edward wouldn't drive that piece of junk."

"Alice," I chided, shaking my head disapprovingly. My wide smile spoilt my attempt at discipline, but I didn't mind.

"Bella!" I cried, flying at her as soon as she set foot inside the house. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"What did I tell you?" Edward remarked to Bella. He held up the plane ticket vouchers Carlisle and I had bought Bella for her birthday. "Guess what we're doing this weekend?"

_And this has __nothing __to do with Alice's vision? _I wondered. _Conveniently timed, don't you think?_

"Perhaps," Edward said, deliberately being vague because of Bella. "Chess, Alice?" he offered, sitting down at one end of the board. I laughed, gleefully anticipating the game.

"Watch this," I encouraged Bella as Alice sat down at the opposite end of the board. She moved a pawn, and Edward moved another to block it off. She reached for a second one, and by the time it was out of its position, Edward had already blocked it. She made a human imitation of a growl in frustration, and the game shifted to their minds. Bella stared at Alice for a while, then Edward, and then she turned to me.

"Wait," Carlisle said, holding up one hand. A moment later, Alice flicked her king over in surrender.

"Ha ha, check mate," Edward declared, getting to his feet. Bella was bewildered.

"Bella?" Jasper invited, switching places with Alice and trying to hide the smug smile on his face.

"Okay," she agreed uncertainly, sitting where Edward had been a moment earlier. Jasper won easily.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

Eventually, the time came for Bella to go home.

"Is Victoria..?" Edward murmured as Esme led Bella to the door, asking for a full account of the trip to Florida.

_No, _I replied. _Alice's timing is right. We'll keep an eye out though._

"Do you mind if I stay at Bella's tonight?" he asked, at conversational level now: it didn't matter if Bella overheard.

"Go ahead," I replied. "Esme and I will be hunting, so use the cell if you need me." Esme glanced at me, and I nodded for her to play along. We would be doing more than hunting: we would be on surveillance.

"Goodnight, Bella," Esme said. "Have fun in Florida!" Edward smiled and headed out the door with Bella, and they drove away in her rumbling truck.

"She's not here, is she?" Esme asked.

"She's getting closer," I replied. "It would be best if we caught her before she catches us. Rose, Emmett – you're on guard tomorrow."

"Pfft. Guard duty," Rosalie scoffed. "Why don't you just bite her now and get it over with?"

"Because I promised Edward," I replied calmly. "And I wish you wouldn't be so callous about this. Would you rather the Volturi killed her?" Everyone in the room flinched, except Rose, who looked at me with a bored expression.

"Well she wouldn't be in danger if we'd stopped this ridiculousness earlier," she pointed out.

"She wouldn't be in danger if _you _hadn't told Edward she was dead!" Alice retorted.

"She wouldn't have said anything if you hadn't told _her," _Emmett came to Rosalie's defense.

"I don't remember hearing the word 'dead' pass her lips," Jasper shot back, in defense of Alice.

"That's enough!" Esme barked, her steely glare cutting everyone off. "We have enough trouble on our hands as it is. If it weren't for Victoria, you'd all be _grounded! _ You may be vampires but I'm still your mother!" She swiftly turned and disappeared out the doorway.

"Sorry," I muttered – I had started it – and shot after Esme.


	28. Disputes

Chapter Twenty Eight: Disputes

Esme:

Edward and Bella were safe in Florida for the weekend, and Carlisle and I were wandering through the forest in the twilight hours of Saturday night. Well, that is, to anyone we might have passed, it would have seemed like wandering, but really we were hyper-alert.

"You know I wish you were at home right now, don't you?" he asked in a conversational tone.

"I do, but I'm not going," I replied amiably. We'd had this discussion a thousand times.

A branch creaked high above us, then suddenly stopped. I stopped too, and Carlisle only a few paces after. I looked up, and saw a flash of red. Before I could make a sound, Victoria spun around a branch and launched herself at me. There was a thunderous crack, and we rolled over one another down the bank towards the river. Somehow, she found her feet before I did. She lifted me up by the neck, holding me out over the river.

Three large werewolves yipped and bayed from the other bank. I was less scared of them than Victoria though: I grabbed her forearm with both hands and forced it backwards. Her wrist cracked, her grip weakened, and I fell into the river's churning waters. I missed the treaty line - just.

"Esme!" Carlisle cried, his feet slipping slightly on the muddy bank as he scrambled to get to me.

"Carlisle, look out!" Alice exclaimed, appearing on the bank opposite the wolves. The others were not far behind her.

Carlisle ducked, only just dodging a swipe from Victoria. Outnumbered on both sides of the line, the redhead let go a furious hiss before darting away. I was still sitting in the river, drenched and very unimpressed as the wolves and vampires shot off after their illusive prey.

"Are you okay?" Carlisle asked, offering a hand to help me up.

"Of course I am," I said, still growling under my words. I took his hand and we clambered back up the bank together. There was a frustrated snarl from in the distance, followed by a shout of dismay from Jasper. Carlisle and I charged towards the sound.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

We caught up to Emmett and Jasper, running a few feet further from the line than they were. It didn't follow the river here, but the wall of scents was an easy enough marking.

"She's following the treaty line," Jasper informed us as we ran. "She's making it difficult for us to judge which side she's on – that way we can't get her without risking a fight."

Three enormous wolves shot past twenty yards to the left of us. Emmett and Jasper disappeared ahead of us, no doubt to catch up with Alice and Rosalie. Esme and I took off then, followed on the left by three more wolves.

It wasn't long at all before we caught up with the others, all crowded around a scene of scraping and snarling. Victoria was nowhere to be seen: the fighters were Emmett and a large gray wolf. I sighed. This was a terrible tactical situation to be in: the enemy of our enemy was certainly not our friend, and this only proved for extra fighting on the side. We were supposedly aiming for the same thing, but Victoria was having a field day. Jasper crossed his arms. Clearly, he shared my sentiment.

I edged my way to the front of the group of spectators. Emmett snarled at the wolf and backed off a little. On the other side, the black Alpha - larger even than the others - looked at me with approval. He was backed by an entourage of wolves who seemed to be quite enjoying the scuffling match: they snarled and yapped angrily at me.

"Are we all keeping to our sides of the line?" I inquired calmly.

"Yeah," Emmett replied. "Misty of Chincoteague here doesn't seem to think so, though."

"Have you ever thought that they don't like us because we insult them so much?" Esme suggested, staring with wide eyes at the enormous black.

"I don't care what they think," Rosalie snapped. "Emmett didn't break any rules."

The black snarled again and advanced on me, but Jasper kept everything under control. The other wolves set themselves out in a more regimented line behind their leader, and the gray in front of Emmett turned back to join his companions. Emmett returned to our group, muttering bitterly about how unjust the whole situation was. Alice bared her teeth at the black as he came towards me, but he meant no harm. He stopped right on the line and lowered his enormous head to my level.

"We understand we have no business crossing the line," I explained. "I don't believe anything happened here, but if it did there was no harm done. He did not attack, did he? Not seriously?" The black moved its head from side to side; _no._

"Good. I assure you, I will enforce discipline, but I believe there are more urgent matters to take care of."

The black snorted and snapped his teeth together, but he knew I was right.

"Where's she headed?" I asked Alice, whose eyes were glazed over.

"I don't know – I can't see past the wolves."

"Oh, yes," I muttered. "We should let the wolves take it from here, if they can find anything. We should be getting back - Emmett, I want to talk to you." I turned to the leader of the pack. "The line is all yours," I told him. "We'll try to stay out of your way."

"But-!" Emmett and Jasper objected at once. The black wolf and I growled at them simultaneously, and they shut their mouths, looking outraged that I had agreed with a werewolf over them.

"Let's _go," _I urged. The wolf leader nodded at me, and with a silent signal they charged off after Victoria, some of them crossing the line as they went.

.o.o.o.

Esme:

Everyone was mad with Carlisle for the rest of the weekend for giving up the treaty line. They believed it was unnecessary, unfair, and completely inconsiderate of our comforts. Our hunting land stunk like wolf from the pack running through it, and some of them weren't being very polite at all, which didn't make it any better.

The children made a reluctant peace with their father by the time they left for school on Monday, but Emmett's run-in with the gray wolf was not forgotten. Edward brought Bella over afterwards, claiming that Jacob Black, her werewolf friend, had told her all about it.

"I know about Victoria," Bella said, loud enough for all of us to hear. "I know she's here. I know she's after me. And I know that you were hunting her in the forest while we were away."

"Bella, I know where you're going with this," Carlisle interrupted. "And I still say no. You have seven vampires protecting you. She won't get anywhere near you."

"But what about the one after her? And the one after that? You've known me what – a year? Maybe a little more. And I've already had James, Victoria and the Volturi after me. You can't keep fighting them off – I don't _want _you to keep fighting them off – and you can't stay here forever. Besides, graduation's only in a few weeks, so it wouldn't even be cheating that much…"

"All the more reason for you to wait, Bella," Carlisle replied calmly.

"I just think it's stupid for you to be running around risking your lives – _behind my back - _while I just have to sit here weak and tasty and wait for the next disaster. Everyone knows it; I'm a special case. Someone like me ought to be a little less helpless."

"There are seven of us, Bella," he said. "And with Alice on our side, I don't think Victoria's going to catch us off guard. I think it's important, for Charlie's sake, that we stick to the original plan." He said 'original' plan for a reason: the plan where he and I go out together was the second plan – one I'd forced on him because I was determined not to be left behind. The _original _plan was for me to search for clues and updates on Victoria, the werewolves and Charlie. Carlisle, like Edward, was prone to being overprotective. If it was up to him, I'd be chained in the basement right now, and he wouldn't let me up until Victoria was gone for good. But it wasn't up to him, and he knew that.

"We'd never allow anything to happen to you, sweetheart," I told Bella, including myself in the _we. _"You know that. Please don't be anxious." My last statement was directed at both Bella and Carlisle. I leant in and kissed Bella on the forehead, the warmth of her skin an odd and yet comforting feeling.

"I'm really glad Jasper didn't kill you," Emmett remarked. "Everything's so much more fun with you around."

Rosalie glared at him.

"I'm offended," Alice scoffed. "You're not honestly _worried _about this, are you?"

"If it's no big deal, then why did Edward drag me to Florida?" Bella demanded.

"Haven't you noticed yet, Bella, that Edward is just the teeniest bit prone to overreaction?"

Bella nodded absently and let Edward lead her from the room, and suddenly – freed of Jasper's influence - she snapped back into character.

"Edward! Don't you care anything for my safety?" she demanded. "I should be turned! It'll be safer for all of you."

"That's between you and Carlisle," Edward replied calmly. "Of course, I'm willing to make it between you and me any time that you wish. You know my condition."

Bella gave a cry of frustration and stormed out the door, and Edward followed after.

"I told you Edward would come around," Carlisle said.

"What's his condition?" I wondered. Carlisle looked smug as he wandered off to his study.


	29. Torn

**AN ~ Ok now we're getting into the heavy stuff. I feel sorry for Carlisle - all this time at peace and suddenly he's stuck in the middle of a hundred problems, coming at him from all directions! That's not what he signed up for!** **I'm posting 3 chaps today for Happy New Year! (by the time most of you read this it will be New Years Day for me) Not that they're particularly happy chapters though :(**

**Reviews: Thank you all and thanks and welcome to new fan Alice Cullen629**

**Disclaimer: ****I'm pretty sure Emmett's linen about vampire slumber parties being "the epitome of safety-conscious behaviour" is from Eclipse somewhere. So shoot me. The rest of it is not mine either**

Chapter Twenty Nine: Torn

Carlisle:

Jasper, Emmett and I have finally convinced Edward to join us on our weekend hunting trip – a reserve in North Carolina has a mountain lion problem, so I figured we should take care of that for them. Despite an abundance of his favourite food, and of course no shortage of protection for Bella back home, Edward seems angry about leaving her. I think it has something to do with Jacob Black. I often wonder if it is jealousy, but Edward denies it. It is difficult to tell if he is lying because none of us had any competition when it came to our partners. Bella was stuck in the middle of a love triangle with a vampire and a werewolf, and none of the three were showing any signs of walking away.

"Will you cut it out?" Edward snapped. "I feel like you're narrating my life."

"Maybe if you just figured out what was really going on between them, you could handle it better. It's not like Jacob's about to hurt Bella."

"He probably won't mean it, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. So I got Alice and Esme to organise with Charlie for Bella to stay with the girls for the weekend."

"Geez, give the girl some leash, bro," Emmett scoffed. Edward glared, and Emmett cringed away. "No pun intended."

"I have to agree, Edward," Jasper pointed out. "You are going a bit far with this – although, Alice will enjoy herself."

"I just want to keep her safe."

"Yes, because a vampire slumber party is the epitome of safety conscious behaviour," Emmett remarked, fighting to keep a straight face.

"We're here," I informed them, pulling up. "Try not to scare the food away."

Laughing and elbowing each other, Jasper and Emmett disappeared into the trees.

"Carlisle, I don't know what to do," Edward admitted. "Bella and Jacob are so close…I don't want to tear them apart. It's as though he's become a part of her – Bella makes some really _stupid _choices of friends."

"The wolves are people too, I suppose. As much as we are, at least. Perhaps moreso, in a way," I told him. "But the fact remains, it is an ancient rivalry between our species. Even Bella can't break two thousand years of cold war." I shook my head, and Edward followed me into the trees.

"'The wolves are people too?'" he quoted in a hushed voice, shocked and outraged.

Human, I mean. The species. But also…did anyone tell you that the wolf symbolises maternity and loyalty?

"Yeah, and vampires symbolise death and destruction, but look at us now!"

_Preying on mountain lions?_

"That's not my point. I'm just saying…things aren't always what they seem."

_So don't let Jacob be what he seems. I'm sure he cares for Bella very much. Try and learn a bit about him. I'm sure Bella w__ould be happy to introduce you._

"And I'm sure Emmett would be happy to lock us both in a room and see who comes out alive, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea."

"You're being very sarcastic tonight, Edward," I pointed out. "But trust me. Try. It'll work out for the best. Bella can't take sides in this. It's up to us and them."

"Bella can't take sides in this _until after graduation,_" Edward reminded me.

"She'll say yes to you," I assured him. "She's not going to pick me if you've given her a chance. We have longer than that."

"Oh so _now _you're on my side." Edward raised an eyebrow.

"No, I'm on my side," I insisted. "You'd die without her; she'd die without you, so make sure neither of you leave and it keeps both of you alive."

Edward was glaring at me.

"What do you mean _she'd die without me?" _he demanded. "I thought it was recreational – stupid, but recreational. She was sad, yes, but she was snapping out of it!"

"No she wasn't. Even with Jacob…" I sighed and shook my head. "Bella got lost after you left, and Dr Gerandy was assigned to her. She was almost catatonic."

"I know the story," Edward growled.

"She had nightmares, Edward. Charlie had to take sleeping pills because he was up every night. It couldn't drag on. _Something _had to happen. And it did, and you both nearly died for it, and I am going to make sure that never happens again. Even if it means changing Bella."

"What about the treaty? If you bite her, the wolves have an automatic death warrant for you."

"I know that."

"And this is fine with you?" he asked dryly.

"I've been there before, Edward," I said. In fact, I was still on several hit lists. I just happened to be lucky enough to have more friends than I did enemies. "Besides, they're not going to bother chasing us up. They'll be glad we're gone." Or, they could start a war, and we would be in some serious trouble. I quickly started reciting the Canon of Medicine in Arabic so Edward wouldn't hear that thought. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Just…be careful, okay?" he warned. "Now come on, let's hunt already."

.o.o.o.

After a while, I left Edward to his own devices and went off to find Jasper, who was wandering by the river with thoughtful golden eyes.

"Edward's very torn about this," he mused, effortlessly stretching his conversation with himself to include me. "He's worried about Bella, of course, but also about you. What'll happen if you bite her. Not just the wolves, either, but with your faith and your soul. And, in a twisted way, he's worried about Bella's wolf, because he knows hurting him means hurting her. But he's angry at the same time. I don't think I've ever seen him so conflicted."

"I know; we were talking about it just now. Do you remember love being this hard?"

"No," he replied.

"Neither," I agreed. "Not that Esme had experienced much love in her life to begin with – hopelessness that drives one to suicide is not that hard to improve on."

Jasper laughed warmly.

"It's more than that," he explained. "You offer her everything she ever dreamed of and more, and you don't even realise it. It works the same way with her for you. It's like you don't even _know _you're made for each other."

"Believe me, I know," I assured him. "Edward, though…he has to work so _hard _for Bella. It was never fair on either of them, and now Jacob Black is involved and Bella's right in the middle of it."

"Trust Bella," Jasper sighed.

"Trust Bella," I agreed.

"So, changing Bella…are you sure you're doing the right thing? With the treaty so fragile at the moment, it's an enormous risk."

"I know, but it's worth it. There won't be a war, if Jacob has any say in it. Bella will side with us, and he won't go against her."

"He's not the Alpha. He's not in charge. Jacob doesn't get to make the decisions, Carlisle: there are no mates-rates here. You designed half the treaty; you need to know its laws. Friendship with Aro might be a help in the vampire world, but the werewolves won't go for it. You're making a big decision based entirely on your feelings about Jacob Black."

"I still don't think they'll fight. Besides, it's either them or the Volturi we've got to deal with." Jasper and I simultaneously flinched: stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Does Bella know anything about this?" he asked after a moment. "About the treaty; what happens if we break it?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Good. But Carlisle? Be careful."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" I wondered.

"Because it's very valuable advice," Jasper replied gravely. "There's a lot to consider, Carlisle: Victoria, the werewolves, the Volturi, Bella's change, the treaty, and this convoluted love story Edward's wound himself up in. It's hard to keep track of a hundred armies at once."

"I'm not following."

"You're a very passionate man, and that's not a bad thing, but you cannot get too involved in any of this. You're just as torn as Edward. You want to help him, but helping him means endangering the rest of us. You're struggling to balance everything, because you spend so much time focusing on each individual battle that the bigger fight escapes you."

"So, what, I'm a General now?" I frowned. Clearly I was missing the point.

"Yes, exactly," Jasper said. "This is bigger than Edward, Bella and Victoria. Bigger than anything we've faced before. This is a war, Carlisle. Not conventional, I know, but just as dangerous. You're our General and we're your troops, and we live and die by your decisions. Right now, you're walking on thin ice, and we're all right behind you. If you can find your balance fast, we'll pull through, but otherwise..."

I nodded, shaken, as it all sunk in. I was in charge, and I had to act soon before one of our many deadlines crept up on us. Jasper was right. This was bigger than Edward, Bella and Victoria. Bigger than anything we'd faced before.

"What's up?" Emmett wondered, jogging over to us, followed by Edward. He was looking between Jasper and I, who were both wearing matching grave expressions now.

"Nothing," we replied as one, turning back towards the car. Edward must have heard most of the conversation, but he said nothing to Emmett.

On the car trip home, Emmett told stories of his most entertaining catches, and Edward entertained us with mind games, and our moods were all lightened. In my head, though, an argument formed itself, becoming more and more complex with each step.

_If you bite her, the wolves have an automati__c death warrant for you…she's not going to pick me if you've given her a chance… you're walking on thin ice…find your balance fast...This is a war...We live and die by your decisions. Live and die, live and die, live and die._

Over and over, the weekend's events hunting Victoria played over in my head. Esme disappearing from my side, the two of them tumbling down the bank until Victoria got to her feet, one muscle contraction away from destroying her prey. Esme was determined not to let it happen again, and that determination meant that she was another fire cracker on my extensive list - what if, one day, she took off after Victoria and never came back?

"Carlisle?" Edward wondered. "Do you want me to drive?"

"No, I'm fine," I said with a smile, pushing the thoughts away and paying attention to the road in front of me. Edward was not convinced, but he let the matter rest.


	30. Stranger

**AN ~ 2****nd**** chapter for today. If I remember correctly, quite a while has passed. Oh well, it's a landmark phone call! dun dun DUN!**

**Disclaimer: Eclipse is not mine (I just have poor little Carlisle working away at trying to solve everything before it falls in on his head)**

Chapter Thirty: Stranger

Esme:

"Hey bro," Emmett flipped open his cell.

"_Emmett – I don't know how it happened but someone's slipped us. There was a stranger in Bella's room. Vampire. It might be one of the Volturi, I'm not sure. You and Jasper sweep the woods – they can't be far away. I'm bringing Bella over." _Edward's urgent voice came through the speaker. I jammed a bookmark into my well-used copy of _Pride and Prejudice _and leapt to my feet,and in an instant the rest of the family was in the room beside me. Edward had already hung up.

"Jazz, you up for it?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah – especially since the wolves stole Victoria," he grumbled. Emmett and Jasper took off out the door, but I couldn't move. Carlisle paced. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, my fingers clawing at the book covers.

"I didn't see anything," Alice whispered, shocked and appalled at herself. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her chest. She blinked her absent eyes and came out of her trance, shaking her head. "I can't believe I missed it."

"It's not your fault dear," I told her, though my voice was bleak. My book started tearing, but my hands were so firmly locked around it I couldn't let it go. I was practically powdering the pages.

"What happened?" Edward demanded, bursting through the door. He was glaring at Alice, his hands clenched into fists by his sides. Carlisle froze, and Bella looked like a startled rabbit.

"I have no idea. I didn't see anything," Alice replied, looking away from her furious brother. She was being hard enough on herself without Edward on her case.

"How is that _possible?" _Edward hissed.

"Edward," Bella muttered reprovingly.

"It's not an exact science, Edward," Carlisle interrupted calmly.

"He was in her _room, _Alice. He could have been there, waiting for her."

"I would have seen that," Alice insisted. Edward threw his arms in the air.

"Really? You're sure?"

"You've already got me watching the Volturi's decisions, watching for Victoria's return, watching Bella's every step," Alice retorted coldly. "Do you want to add another? Do I just have to watch Charlie, or Bella's room, or the house, or the whole street, too? Edward, if I try to do too much, things are going to start slipping through the cracks."

"It looks like they already are," he snapped back. I wish they wouldn't fight like this. It was bad enough with Victoria and the Volturi and now this new potential threat on our hands: we didn't need our family falling apart at the seams. Carlisle and I had managed to keep our disputes about my safety private, precisely for this reason.

"She was never in any danger; there was nothing to see," Alice defended herself.

"If you're watching Italy, why didn't you see them send-"

"I don't think it's them. I would have seen that."

"Who else would leave Charlie alive?" Bella shuddered, and flakes of what once was _Pride and Prejudice _floated onto the floor around me.

"I don't know," Alice replied.

"Helpful."

"Stop it, Edward," Bella reproved again, louder this time. He turned on her and glared for a long moment, then suddenly exhaled and seemed to relax.

"You're right, Bella. I'm sorry," he said, turning to Alice. "Forgive me, Alice. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. That was inexcusable."

"I understand," she replied, apparently having calmed down too. "I'm not happy about it either." Edward took a deep breath.

"Okay, let's look at this logically. What are the possibilities?"

Bella and Edward joined me on the lounge. I wrapped my arms around Bella and Edward held her hand reassuringly. She did not relax.

"Victoria?" Carlisle suggested.

"No, I didn't know the scent," Edward replied, shaking his head. "He might have been from the Volturi, someone I haven't met…" Alice shook her head now.

"Aro hasn't asked anyone to look for her yet. I _will _see that. I'm waiting for it."

"You're watching for an official command."

"You think someone's acting on their own? Why?"

"Caius' idea," Edward suggested.

"…or Jane's," Alice added. "They both have the resources to send an unfamiliar face."

"And the motivation." Edward scowled.

"It doesn't make sense, though," I interrupted, the thought only just coming to me. "If whoever it was meant to wait for Bella, Alice would have seen that. He – or she – had no intention of hurting Bella. Or Charlie, for that matter."

"What was the point, then?" Carlisle wondered.

"Checking to see if I'm still human?" Bella suggested.

"Possible…" he replied, thinking about it. Rosalie's sigh interrupted us. She turned to face the kitchen, and the rest of us turned too. Emmett and Jasper burst through the door a moment later.

"Long gone, hours ago," Emmett announced, disappointed. "The trail went east, then south, and disappeared on a side road. Had a car waiting."

"That's bad luck," Edward muttered. "If he'd gone west…well, it would be nice for those dogs to make themselves useful." Bella winced, and I rubbed her shoulder. _Poor girl, _I thought. No human should have this much weight to bear. I especially wished the others were a little more considerate about her feelings for the werewolves: our ruthless hatred for each other was trying for me at times, and it was no doubt making life – and the impending final decision – much more difficult for Bella.

"Neither of us recognised him, but here…maybe you know the scent." Jasper held out a broken fern frond to Carlisle. Carlisle took it and raised it to his nose for a moment.

"No," he concluded. "Not familiar. No one I've ever met."

"Perhaps we're looking at this the wrong way," I interrupted again. "Maybe it's just a coincidence…" Everyone turned to stare incredulously at me, so I decided to rephrase. "I don't mean a coincidence that a stranger happened to pick Bella's house at random. I meant that maybe someone was just curious: our scent is all around her. Was he wondering what draws us there?" It was reasonable enough: many vampires had been curious about us and our lifestyle before. We were just seeing danger everywhere.

"Why wouldn't he just come here then, if he were curious?" Emmett demanded.

"You would," I replied. I had to smile. "The rest of us aren't always so direct. Our family is very large – he or she might have been frightened. But Charlie wasn't harmed. This doesn't have to be an enemy." I recalled Laurent, Victoria and James…not that James or Victoria had settled with 'curious,' but Laurent was certainly fascinated by our proximity to humans – particularly Bella. Maybe it was just another Laurent. Just maybe… Edward frowned. Carlisle looked thoughtful. Rosalie looked at me as if I was insane.

"I don't think so," Alice politely disagreed. "The timing of it was too perfect…this visitor was so careful to make no contact. Almost like he or she knew that I would see…"

"He could have other reasons for not making contact," I reminded her. _Like the wolves that also hang around her, and the fact that at least one of us is with her all the time. _It would frighten me, if I were wandering the world alone. I flinched at the thought.

"Does it really matter who it was?" It was Bella's turn to interrupt. "Just the chance that someone _was _looking for me…isn't that reason enough? We shouldn't wait for graduation."

"No, Bella," Edward objected quickly, before Carlisle got a chance to open his mouth. "It's not that bad. If you're really in danger, we'll know."

"Think of Charlie," Carlisle added. "Think of how it would hurt him if you disappeared."

I remembered with a pang watching Charlie from the tree outside his house, all alone, while Bella was hiding out in the south with Alice and Jasper. And then again, when Bella took off after Edward…and we'd have to take her away from him again, but this time it didn't have to be so sudden. I knew what it felt like to have a child walk out on you, leaving nothing but a note behind. Edward had done it, many years ago, and it wasn't any easier the second time around. I wouldn't let that happen to Charlie: we owed him at least that much.

"I _am _thinking of Charlie!" Bella cried. "He's the one I'm worried about! What if my little guest had happened to be thirsty last night? As long as I'm around Charlie, he's a target too. If anything happened to him, it would be all my fault!" That was a point: _what if he had been thirsty. _I had to force myself to take another breath as I remembered the poor boy who had been dared to go into the creepy Cullen house – which was supposed to be empty.

"Hardly, Bella," I replied, patting her hair down again and trying to ignore the sickening feeling that twisted my gut as the boy opened the door: unfortunately for him, I had been very thirsty at that particular moment. Carlisle's worried eyes locked on my face, and I shoved the memory away before I got to the bloody part. "And nothing will happen to Charlie," I added. "We're just going to have to be more careful."

"_More _careful?" Bella repeated in disbelief.

"It's all going to be fine, Bella," Alice promised.

Bella looked around at our faces and sighed. There was nothing she could say that would make us change our minds.


	31. Solutions

**AN ~ I contemplated making this into 2 chapters but I think 1is good. Carlisle's overprotective nature comes back to bite him this chapter. Oh, he tries so hard. The poor guy, I'm really cruel.**

**Disclaimer: Eclipse is not mine. In fact, there are so many issues in it that Bella addresses one at a time that it's insane for the Cullens to keep up! **

Chapter Thirty One: Solutions

Carlisle:

In my study I constructed a long list of the complications that my family now faced. It lay on my desk, the scroll held open by paperweights, as I paced behind my chair, contemplating my best options to deal with each of the problems. Jasper was right: I had to sort this out soon or it would all collapse on us at once.

_The stranger - keep an eye out. _Esme could be right, after all. It might not be anything malignant.

_Changing Bella__ - let Edward do it. _That didn't solve anything much, but it was the inevitable solution.

_Victoria - surveillance, temporary alliance with wolves until threat is dealt with. _We were already doing that, but there wasn't much else to be done. I doubted she could slip through the cracks. Unfortunately, this meant that tension between us and the werewolves was high, and with Bella's change looming, a horrendous breach of our agreements, the last thing we needed was extra stress on the fragile treaty.

_Volturi__ - change Bella. _Again, the solution we had already chosen. It posed a breach of the treaty with the werewolves, which I had passed off without too much thought until considering the problems our allied hunt of Victoria might have. If the pack thought we already owed them one, there would be next to no chance of talking our way out of a fight.

_Werewolves__ - make clear that alliance is only temporary. Hope that they don't feel we are indebted. _This plagued me. There had to be a better way to deal with it, to level ground with them. Leverage...leverage...aha!  
_If so, _I added, _remind them of our surrendering the treaty line._

This brought me to our greatest problem yet. Even now that I had come up with some leverage to even our playing field with the wolves, it presented the greatest threat. I had a long list of possible solutions, but each one was eradicated: first with a neat line, and later with a vicious scribble as the frustration burnt through.

_Treaty__ - Don't change Bella. Don't change Bella here. Set up a situation where the wolves can't fight us without abandoning their greater duty. Fight the wolves. Call our friends to help us fight the wolves._

I pondered this one for a very long time. I was in my study all night, racking my brain for answers, when suddenly I realised: Jacob Black should be the Alpha. His great-grandfather, Ephraim, had been, and in our treaty discussions he had told me that the rankings followed family lines. There must be a reason Jacob had given up his position - maybe, if he had joined the pack after whoever the black wolf was, he didn't even know that he was destined for such a rank. If we found why, and Jacob took back the Alpha position, he would undoubtedly help us protect Bella. If he came to understand that Bella's choices were limited to _change _or _be exterminated, _he would probably be more reasonable about the treaty breach.

After all the answers I had turned down, I scribbled; _get Jacob Black into Alpha position. _I smiled down at the words, satisfied that all our problems would be quite comfortably solved once pressure on the werewolf situation was lightened. Who knows? Maybe Edward and Jacob could come to accept each other being in Bella's life as well.

Jasper cheered supportively as he came into the room.

"Now _that's _what I'm talking about!" he praised, admiring my list. "Well done. I knew you could do it."

His eyes shifted to the pin-up board at the back of the room.

"What's this?" he asked, gesturing at the newspaper clippings I had covered it with. His eyes widened as he recognised them: the collection of Seattle articles from the last few months. Murders and disappearances all over Seattle, the victims not linked in any obvious ways. They were getting sloppier, though, and it became ever more obvious that whoever was committing them was either a wild newborn or an experienced vampire with a death wish.

At first it was not too obvious – three murders, six, ten: it could be passed off as gang activity. Now, though, the deaths were rising faster than ever – in the first month, there were six deaths. In the second, eleven. It was the beginning of July, and the toll was nearing forty. A single vampire was out of the question: there must be a gang of them at least to cause this much damage. It was getting ridiculous; the Volturi should have intervened long ago.

Jasper slowly walked along the wall, examining the cuttings. He stopped when he reached the most recent headline.

Murder Epidemic Continues – Police Have No New Leads

"Carlisle?" Esme wondered, knocking on the door and gently pushing it open. Her eyes were black like onyx, shimmering with fear and concern. She barely hunted for food any more; she was out nearly every spare moment hunting Victoria. She hadn't so much as flicked the television or radio on in weeks. I ran to greet her at the front of the study so she wouldn't see the board of newspaper clippings: she had no idea of the seriousness of was going on in Seattle, and I was determined to keep it that way…for as long as possible, at least. She had enough to worry about.

"You have to go to work," she said quietly, glancing behind me suspiciously as she pulled the tie around my neck and tied it with trembling hands. She kept her eyes away from mine, but her breath was rasping slightly with anxiety. Her hair was a mess. The sleeves of her jacket were torn and frayed at the ends where she'd been pulling at them with her anxious fingers. There was a splash of old deer blood where her shaking hands had led to a messy kill…Alice was so busy keeping a check on all our problems, she hadn't even noticed.

"I know you're worried, dear, but honestly; I'm sure everything will be fine," I told her. Another wave of relief settled in now that I was on the verge of solving everything. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest. She sniffed and pressed her face in my shoulder.

"I know that," Esme whispered, trying to control the tremor in her voice. "It's not just Bella I'm worried about, though."

"It's going to be fine," I repeated. "I promise."

Esme jumped to attention, having spotted Jasper over my shoulder. It was perfectly normal for us not to be alone, sharing a house with so many, but we didn't have the time right now to steal a private moment.

"You should- you should go," she stammered, pressing my bag into my hands.

I kissed her forehead and then her lips, and then slipped out of the house in silence. Once on the road, I decided to call Edward. Being Bella's closest guard, he should be kept absolutely up to date on everything. He was probably at Bella's right now, actually.

"_Carlisle, I-" _he started.

"Look at this morning's paper, Edward," I instructed. "They're getting sloppier – it's getting harder to cover up. They've given up on the gang theory…serial killer will be next, but that one won't hold up either. Bodies drained of blood, stolen right out from under people's noses and found miles from where they were last seen. It's got to be newborns – created by another young one, or someone with a death wish, I don't know, but they're just too reckless to be an established coven, even larger than ours – which may explain the numbers. It's getting ridiculous."

_"I'll check it out," _Edward said_. "Listen…some of Bella's things are missing. Nothing valuable; clothes, her pillow, that kind of thing. Someone has taken them. I don't recognise the scent…it's not Victoria. I don't think it's one of the Volturi either."_

"It's different to the scent you discovered earlier?" I wondered.

"_No, the same one. Her visitor must have taken them when he came earlier."_

"It _could _have something to do with Seattle," I speculated. "But I doubt it. Such reckless newborns wouldn't be so careful…" I cringed. Charlie had been lucky enough to be left alive. The vampire in Bella's room had been smart enough to leave him be: that was not newborn behaviour. The newborns in Seattle were on the fast track to becoming a big black mark on my carefully arranged set of solutions.

"Anyway," I pointed out, "the last thing we need right now is to get involved in a newborn attack and an overdue Volturi visit."

"_Maybe I'll go…"_ Edward started. _"Maybe not. Don't let Emmett go alone, you know how he gets. Ask Alice to keep an eye on things. We'll figure this out later."_ He hung up, and so did I. I pulled my bag out of the car with me and strode into the hospital trying to look confident – and praying with all my heart not to get any news of any more vampire attacks..o.o.o.Esme:_Carlisle is hiding something._The voice nagged at me as I tried to repair a tear in one of Rosalie's dresses. It had been at the back of my mind for hours, ever since Carlisle had greeted me so strangely at the door of his study. I was always welcome there; it was highly unusual for him to block me out. The last time he had, it was to surprise me with my own island. Somehow, I was convinced that this surprise - _if _there was one - was much more sinister._He's hiding something serious from you. He's trying to protect you._I was taking a bundle of our old things to a Salvation Army appeal that afternoon, and a few stitches here and there would make no difference to the people receiving them. It was something to do, too. Carlisle vehemently insisted that the wolves had Victoria at bay, and all I needed was something to occupy myself with. He was just being a worrisome chauvinist, but nevertheless, I tried to focus on my needlepoint. The nagging voice was relentless, though...and persuasive._Just go check. If he's not hiding anything, no harm done. If he is, you can always talk it out._I rolled my eyes. I trusted my husband. But my foot started tapping the ground restlessly. I sighed, tossing the flimsy blue material onto the table and getting to my feet. I automatically traced the path up to Carlisle's study, all the while feeling terribly short of breath._What has become of me? I'm spying on my husband!_

I flicked the light on and scanned the room. Books organised, paintings in need of dusting, desk a mess...nothing out of the ordinary. Until I spied the pin-up board. Being a vampire, with a large mind and perfect memory, Carlisle didn't need to use it, but he felt it helped him better organise his thoughts. Now, it was covered in newspaper clippings. A photograph of Seattle's revolving restaurant caught my eye, and my heart plummeted as I noticed several more of them covering the board.

**Seattle Terrorized By Slayings** read the headline under the first picture I spotted. I scanned through the article and noticed things circled in red.

_This killer – if, in fact, it is one person – would then be responsible for 39 linked homicides and disappearances within the last three months alone._ '39 linked homicides' was not only circled but underlined in red._The motive seems to be killing for no other reason than to kill, _was circled further through the article._Every victim discovered has been burnt to the extent that dental records were necessary for identification…all of the bodies have been carelessly dumped with no attempt at concealment._I cringed and all but skipped the rest of the article to the next phrase circled in red. _Perhaps the most astounding: 30-year-old amateur boxer Robert Walsh entered a movie theatre with a date; a few minutes into the movie, the woman realized that he was not in his seat. His body was found only three hours later when fire fighters were called to the scene of a burning trash Dumpster, twenty miles away. __All of the victims disappeared at night...__Twenty two have occurred in the last ten days alone…_

The last line of the article was vigorously circled – the pen nearly wore through the page.

_Only one conclusion is indisputable: something hideous is stalking Seattle._

I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone tapped my shoulder.

"Esme, you didn't need to see that," Carlisle said as I turned to face him.

"Yes I _did," _I insisted. Flaring through my shock was rage. I'd never felt so mad at Carlisle. I gritted my teeth, but that only lasted for a second against my indignant shout. All this while, I had thought he'd understood, but really he'd grudgingly let me join the hunt for Victoria to keep me away from all of _this! _

"You can't shield me from everything, Carlisle!" I yelled. "I have to know what's going on!"

He hung his head and held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"You're right. I'm sorry. It's just that everything is so much _worse _for you…you worry so much. It hurts to see you like that."

"Well I'd rather be worried than dancing around while all of you get yourselves killed behind my back!" I snapped. "Victoria is bad enough but _this! _What if this turns out to be a serious threat to us, huh? What if some God-forsaken army is out to get us? Hm?"

"Esme, I'm sorry," he said, ashamed. "But you've hardly been 'dancing around'..."

"That's not my point!" I shrieked. "I'm not a _doll,_ Carlisle, I can take care of myself! Christ! You're so pig-headed sometimes, you know that? How long is it going to take you to realise: _I'm a vampire too!_ I'm just as fast and dangerous as you! Don't you think it hurts me to see _you _in danger? Hm? Did that _ever _occur to you?"

I shoved past him and fled the room before he could reply.

.o.o.o.

I ran all the way to the river, and sat on a rock that looked over it. My body shook with the after-effects of rage, as well as terror at my own ferocity - especially with Carlisle, I hadn't expected that - and I forced myself to take deep breaths. I hugged my knees to my chest, and put my forehead against my legs until I relaxed a little.

I lifted my head and looked at the stranger's reflection in the water. She was wearing my jacket, but it was torn; my face, tortured; my hair, wild. Carlisle's words echoed in my head; _you've hardly been 'dancing around'._ This must be what he meant.

As I watched, I saw Carlisle walk up beside the wild woman in the river.

"Esme," he addressed her. "I am so sorry. You were right; I never should have hidden this from you."

"I understand why you did it," I said, looking down at the sleeves of my jacket, which were torn like those in my wild reflection. "I had no idea…but I still wish you'd told me."

"I know. I'm sorry," he repeated. "I was scared. I still am, but I'll try not to get in your way anymore. I know you want to help us and I understand that means taking risks. Please come home, dear. You need something to eat, and then come home. Please."

I stood, but didn't move towards him. I didn't even look at him; I was still staring at the river. Carlisle held his hand out to me.

"_Please, _Esme," he begged quietly. I sighed and let him pull me away.


	32. Seattle's Secret

**AN ~ two more chaps for you guys today in honour of my new baby cousin Adelaide :)** Chapter Thirty Two: Seattle's Secret

Carlisle:

Esme wasn't smiling when we got back to the house, but she wasn't fuming either. She was quiet, composed, making an effort not to give anything away.

"Not mad?" I inquired hopefully as we shot through the door and came to a halt.

"Not _too _mad," she clarified, flicking her hair over her shoulder, not making eye contact.

"I'm sorry."

"I know." She turned and disappeared up the stairs to have a shower. I sighed.

It was stupid of me to think I could hide such an enormous problem: as soon as she watched or heard the news – or talked to anyone in town, for that matter – my efforts would have been destroyed anyway. She was right about her abilities, but I just couldn't help myself: I had to protect her from whatever I could. I'd happily have her annoyed with me like this for the rest of time if it meant she was safe, except that she hated being annoyed with me.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle, I would have warned you…" Alice groaned, sitting on the staircase with her head in her hands. Jasper was sitting beside her, concerned.

"Don't worry about it," Jasper and I said at once. A CNN program was running in the background, on very low volume – forensics specialists debating the serial killer theory as a viable explanation for the Seattle murders. Jasper kissed Alice on the forehead and wandered over as they showed a section of footage. Alice turned her attention back to searching various futures, and I joined Jasper.

"Where are Emmett and Rose?" I inquired.

"Emmett went for a run, but Rose is upstairs brooding – as usual," Jasper replied with a grim smile. Esme floated downstairs – much neater now, and smiling, but not for me.

"Good morning Jasper," she greeted as she joined us.

"Getting the silent treatment, huh?" Jasper teased quietly, elbowing me in the ribs.

"It's my own fault," I admitted. At that moment, Bella and Edward walked in. We pretended to be paying attention to the television – our excellent hearing would explain the low volume.

Emmett strolled in too, wearing an enormous grin.

"Hey Edward," he greeted. "Ditching, Bella?"

"We both are," Edward reminded him. Emmett laughed.

"Yes, but it's _her _first time through high school. She might miss something." Edward rolled his eyes, and threw me a newspaper.

"Did you see that they're considering a serial killer now?" he asked. I sighed. _She knows, Edward…_.I told him, glancing at Esme, who smiled crookedly – apparently telling Edward something amusing.

"They've had two specialists debating the possibility on CNN all morning," I explained.

"We can't let this go on," he insisted.

"Let's go _now._ I'm dead bored," Emmett said with enthusiasm. A hiss echoed down the stairway. Rosalie was determined to be difficult these last few days. "She's such a pessimist," he muttered to himself.

"We'll have to go sometime," Edward agreed with Emmett.

_Wait. _I had seen what newborns could do, and I was well aware the Volturi could turn up at any moment. Not to mention, it wasn't our business and we would do well not to get mixed up in it…that was the view I had to keep, despite my growing discomfort.

"I'm concerned. We've never involved ourselves in this kind of thing before. It's not our business. We aren't the Volturi," I pointed out.

"I don't want the Volturi to have to come here. It gives us so much less reaction time," Edward said, with a worried glance at Bella.

"And all those innocent humans in Seattle," Esme murmured, stepping closer to me. "It's not right to let them die this way."

"I know," I sighed. I was working hard to keep the emotion off my face, and even harder to keep it at the back of my mind. Logic only. It's not our place to deal with this. It's not our problem, and right now, we can't afford to make it our problem unless we have absolutely no other choice.

"Oh, I didn't think of that," Edward remarked suddenly, tilting his head slightly towards Jasper. "I see. You're right, that has to be it. Well, that changes everything."

_What changes everything? _I stared at him, confused. _How?_

"I think you'd better explain to the others," Edward said to Jasper. "What could be the purpose of this?" He started to pace, staring at the floor, lost in thought. Alice was beside Bella in a flash, but her steps were not as lithe as usual.

"What is he rambling about?" she asked Jasper. "What are you thinking?"

We seemed to gather around him without even realising it. He looked around uncomfortably at every face in the circle, and finally his eyes fell to Bella.

"You're confused," he stated.

"We're all confused," Emmett grumbled. He hated Edward's one-sided conversations: Jasper's were rarer, and even more irritating.

"You can afford the time to be patient," Jasper told him, just a little reproving. "Bella should understand this too. She's one of us now."

Esme glanced up at me with the slightest of victory smiles on her face. My heart plummeted. I could only think of one reason to reveal Jasper's story at this moment: Seattle's dark and terrible secret was a newborn army.

.o.o.o.

Esme:

"How much do you know about me, Bella?" Jasper asked. The smile disappeared from my face, and I squeezed Carlisle's hand. Emmett sighed exasperatedly and flopped down on the couch with exaggerated impatience. It's not that he wasn't sympathetic, but he was bored, anxious and already knew his brother's story well.

"Not much," Bella admitted. Jasper looked at Edward, who met his gaze.

"No," Edward said, in response to one of Jasper's thoughts. "I'm sure you can understand why I haven't told her that story. But I suppose she needs to hear it now."

Jasper started rolling up the sleeve of his ivory sweater, and held his wrist under the lampshade beside him. There was a rough crescent scar on his pale skin. I brushed my fingers along the bite mark at my wrist: a perfect, smooth crescent, and was filled with the pity I always felt for poor Jasper.

Bella stared at Jasper's scar, and slowly her eyes widened as the realisation dawned on her.

"Oh," she breathed. "Jasper, you have a scar exactly like mine." She held out her hand, the silver mark much more pronounced against her complexion than his. Jasper smiled grimly.

"I have a lot of scars like yours, Bella," he said solemnly. He pushed his sleeve higher up his arm, and I couldn't help shuddering though I had seen these marks before. The scars criss-crossed like a tapestry; reminders of his terrible life in the vampire armies of the south.

"Jasper," Bella gasped. "What _happened _to you?

"The same thing that happened to your hand," Jasper answered in a quiet voice. "Repeated a thousand times." He laughed ruefully and brushed his other hand down his arm. "Our venom is the only thing that leaves a scar."

"_Why?" _Bella gasped again, still staring. I was staring too…I felt rude, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the thousand scars that ravaged my son's arm.

"I didn't have quite the same…upbringing as my adopted siblings here," Jasper explained. "My beginning was something else entirely. Before I tell you my story, you must understand that there are places in _our _world, Bella, where the life span of the never-aging is measured in weeks, and not centuries."

Carlisle gently kissed my hair and returned his attention to the very quiet television. His hand clung to mine fiercely - fearfully, even - and I wondered whether he was paying attention to the news report at all. Another threat...the last thing we need at a time like this.

Alice came to sit by my feet to hear Jasper's story. Edward's eyes were on Bella's face, monitoring every change as Jasper launched into the story of Benito and the vampire armies, territory war and the definition of hell breaking loose. He moved onto his changing after the overview – a story I had heard over and over but one that never failed to horrify me to no end.

"In so many years of slaughter and carnage, I'd lost nearly all of my humanity. I was undeniably a nightmare; a monster of the grisliest kind."

This was the part that got to me the most. My lovely, caring Jasper who tried so hard to keep us all happy; who worked so hard to resist what he had indulged in for nearly a century before joining us, having such horrible opinions about himself.

"Yet each time I found another human victim, I would feel a faint prick of remembrance for that other life. Watching their eyes widen in wonder at my beauty, I could see Maria and the others in my head, what they had looked like to me the last night that I was Jasper Whitlock."

Bella was nearly as white as I was now. Breath came in and out of her lungs slowly, as if she had to force it, but the only part of my body that moved were my fingers, clinging tighter to Carlisle's as Jasper went on.

"Yet I had to keep killing – what choice did I have? I tried to kill less often, but I would get too thirsty and I would give in. After a century of instant gratification, I found self-discipline…challenging. I still haven't perfected that.

"I was in Philadelphia. There was a storm, and I was out during the day – something I was not completely comfortable with yet. I knew standing in the rain would attract attention, so I ducked into a little half-empty diner. My eyes were dark enough that no one would notice them, though this meant I was thirsty, and that worried me a little.

"She was there – expecting me, naturally. She hopped down from the high stool at the counter as soon as I walked in and came directly toward me. It shocked me. I was not sure if she meant to attack. That's the only interpretation of her behaviour my past had to offer. But she was smiling. And the emotions that were emanating from her were nothing I'd ever felt before.

"'You've kept me waiting a long time,' she said."

"And you ducked your head, like a good southern gentleman, and said 'I'm sorry ma'am,'" Alice interrupted, laughing at the memory. Jasper smiled at her.

"You held out your hand, and I took it without stopping to make sense of what I was doing. For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope." Jasper took Alice's hand as he spoke, and I found myself smiling at the love that radiated between them. I had always loved that part of the story.

"Alice told me what she'd seen of Carlisle and his family," Jasper continued. "I could hardly believe that such an existence was possible. But Alice made me optimistic, so we went to find them."

"Scared the hell out of them too," Edward interrupted with a roll of his eyes. He turned to Bella to explain. "Emmett and I were away hunting. Jasper shows up, towing this little freak who greets them all by name, knows everything about them, and wants to know which room she can move into."

Alice and Jasper laughed, and I found myself chuckling quietly.

_Well we couldn't refuse them, could we? _I teased Edward. I laughed too, and so did Carlisle.

"When I got home, all my things were in the garage," Edward continued.

"Your room had the best view," Alice shrugged. All three of them laughed.

"That's a nice story," Bella said. "I mean the last part. The happy ending with Alice."

"Alice has made all the difference," Jasper agreed. "This is a climate I enjoy."

We were allowed to enjoy the tranquility for a moment, before Alice turned to her love with a serious expression.

"An army?" she whispered. "Why didn't you tell me?"


	33. For Without Victory

**AN ~ The ****final quote (in italics) is by Winston Churchill**

Chapter Thirty Three: For Without Victory...

Esme:

Everyone's attention was back on Jasper.

"I thought I must be interpreting the signs incorrectly, because where is the motive?" Jasper explained. "Why would someone create an army in Seattle? There is no history there, no vendetta. It makes no sense from a conquest standpoint either; no one claims it. Nomads pass through, but there's no one to fight for it. No one to defend it from.

"But I've seen this before, and there's no other explanation. There is an army of newborn vampires in Seattle. Fewer than twenty, I'd guess. The difficult part is that they are totally untrained. Whoever made them just set them loose. It will only get worse, and it won't be much longer until the Volturi step in. Actually, I'm surprised they've let this go on so long."

I froze.

"What can we do?" Carlisle asked.

"If we want to avoid the Volturi's involvement, we will have to destroy the newborns, and we will have to do it very soon. I can teach you how…it won't be easy in the city. The young ones aren't concerned about secrecy, but we will have to be. It will limit us in ways they are not. Maybe we can lure them out…"

_Our family is very large..._My own words were coming back to haunt me. No. This cannot be happening.

"Maybe we won't have to," Edward's voice was bleak. "Does it occur to anyone else that the only possible threat in the area that would call for the creation of an army is…us?" His eyes scanned our faces. Jasper's eyes narrowed; Carlisle's widened in horror.

"Tanya's family is also near," I made myself say. I knew that wasn't going to hold up.

"The newborns aren't ravaging Anchorage, Esme," Edward pointed out. "I think we have to consider the idea that _we _are the targets."

I shook my head over and over as if I could somehow stop this, change it, reverse it, erase it. _What if this turns out to be a serious threat to us, huh? What if some God-forsaken army is out to get us? _Carlisle's eyes met mine for a moment, recalling my fiery speech. I shivered at the eeriness of it all.

"They aren't coming after us," Alice insisted. Suddenly, she hesitated and her expression dropped. "Or…they don't _know _that they are. Not yet."

"What is that? What are you remembering?" Edward inquired.

"Flickers," Alice said. "I can't see a clear picture when I try to see what's going on, nothing concrete. But I've been getting these strange flashes. Not enough to make sense of. It's as if someone's changing their mind, moving from one course of action to another so quickly that I can't get a good view."

"Indecision?" Jasper wondered.

"I don't know."

"Not _indecision,_" Edward growled. "_Knowledge. _Someone who knows you can't see anything until the decision is made. Someone who is hiding from us, playing with the holes in your vision."

I gasped. This visitor was so careful to make no contact. Almost like he or she knew that I would see…Alice's words chilled me to the bone.

"Who would know that?" Alice whispered.

"Aro knows you as well as you know yourself," Edward replied.

"But I would see if they'd decided to come…"

"Unless they didn't want to get their hands dirty."

I finally drew breath. It rattled into my chest.

"A favour," Rosalie suggested. I hadn't noticed she was still in the room: it was the first time she had spoken. "Someone in the south…someone who already had trouble with the rules. Someone who should have been destroyed is offered a second chance, if they take care of this one small problem…That would explain the Volturi's sluggish response."

"Why?" Carlisle asked, trying not to believe it. He and Aro shared a strange sort of friendship, and he was comforted by the idea of trustworthy leaders, even if he didn't agree with their methods. "There's no reason for the Volturi to-"

"It was there," Edward interrupted quietly. "I'm surprised it's come to this so soon, because the other thoughts were stronger. In Aro's head he saw me at his one side and Alice at his other. The present and the future, virtual omniscience: the power of the idea intoxicated him. I would have thought it would take him much longer to give up on that plan – he wanted it too much. But there was also the thought of you, Carlisle, of our family growing stronger and larger. The jealousy and the fear: you having…not _more _that he had, but still, things that he wanted. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't hide it completely. The idea of rooting out the competition was there: besides their own, ours is the largest coven they've ever found…"

Carlisle shook his head, but his hand still clung fearfully tightly to mine.

"They're too committed to their mission. They would never break the rules themselves. It goes against everything they've worked for."

"They'll clean up afterward: a double betrayal, no harm done."

"No, Carlisle is right," Jasper interrupted. "The Volturi do not break the rules. Besides, it's much too sloppy. This…person, this threat – they have no idea what they're doing. A first-timer, I'd swear to it. I cannot believe the Volturi are involved…but they will be."

There was an ominous silence.

"Then let's _go! _What are we waiting for?"

I would have laughed at Emmett's headstrong nature, but I could not. I was frightened. Worse, Carlisle's supportive arms slipped away from around my waist. The room was silent but for Bella's uneven heartbeats, until finally Carlisle spoke.

"We'll need you to teach us, Jasper," he said finally. "How to destroy them."

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

It's the only way. Even if we could contact the creator of the newborns, they wouldn't be reasoned with. I couldn't call the Volturi in until Bella was changed and the werewolves dealt with: it would mean the complete destruction of all we had worked to achieve. If they arrived on their own, we might get away without a visit, but if we called them to highlight the seriousness of the issue - which they almost definitely already knew - we would effectively be surrendering Bella to them. It was too late to change her now, even without considering the precarious position the wolves put us in. This was our only option.

I shut my eyes for a moment and prayed for understanding. Jasper was gazing sympathetically at me when I opened them.

"We're going to need help," he said. "Do you think Tanya's family would be willing? Another five mature vampires would make an enormous difference. And then Kate and Eleazer would be especially advantageous on our side. It would be almost easy, with their aid."

_Easy. _I shuddered.

"We'll ask," I decided.

Jasper held out a cell phone.

"We need to hurry," he murmured, truly sorry for what he was making me do. I took the cell from him and dialled the number as I made my way over to the glass wall.

_I cannot believe I'm doing this, but dear God, don't make me do it alone._

I pressed my palm to the glass. Somewhere past it, somewhere out there, people were dying. An army was being raised. We had to stop it. This was the only conceivable path of action. Yes, it meant killing - and, frighteningly likely, dying - but it was for the best. It just had to be.

_"Hello?" _Tanya's voice called. I struggled for words. _"Carlisle? Hello?"_

"Tanya," I choked at last. "Tanya, it's me. I need your help. Badly."

Just like that, the whole sorry story came pouring out. At the end of it, I had to wait a torturously long time for Tanya's response while she discussed our plight with her sisters. When an answer came, it wasn't a good one.

"_Carlisle, I'm so sorry, but we can't help you. Irina refuses to, after what happened to Laurent. She loved him, and she wishes...very strongly...to exact her revenge on the pack."_

"Oh." I tried not to seem too surprised. _Don't panic._ "We didn't realise...that Irina felt that way." She had asked to avenge Laurent as one of her coven. I had apologised and refused, and nothing more had been said. Oh, how simple it had seemed.

_"I'm afraid we can't do anything for you...unless you were willing to reconsider?"_

"Tanya, please," I tried again. "You know I can't do that. The treaty has been in place for a century. To break it now would mean an all-out war, and I just can't afford that right now!"

_"Of course we would be glad to help you with any problems the wolves give you. Friends scratch each other's backs, Carlisle."_

"Don't make this about us," I growled. "I have nothing against any of you, and I'm sorry Irina feels betrayed, but it's nothing personal, I swear."

_"It's personal to me. Irina's my sister and I love her very much. I will stick by her. Unless you grant her wish-"_

"There's no question of that," I interrupted. "We have a truce. They haven't broken it and neither will we."

_"Then I will have nothing more to do with this. It's them or us. It seems you've chosen."_

"I'm sorry to hear that."

_"I really am sorry, Carlisle. I sincerely hope none of you suffer for our decision, but you won't be getting any help from us this time. You understand, right?"_

My eyes dropped, and my hand slid down the glass with a screech. I contemplated guilting her into it. I even considered blackmail - not that we had anything to hold them on. I was on the verge of throwing away all dignity and begging for her assistance, but if I tried that, I would utterly lose my composure. I am the leader and it's my duty to act as if I'm in control. I took a deep breath.

"Of course," I managed. "We'll just have to do our best alone."

I flipped the phone shut before Tanya could reply. How could things have come this far, this fast? My hand trembling, I tucked the cell into my pocket and trudged back to Esme's side. She entwined her fingers in mine, smiling sadly, knowing I had done what I could and that this was very hard for me.

"This isn't good," Jasper shook his head. "It's too even a fight. We'd have the upper hand in skill but not in number. We'd win…but at what price?"

His eyes flashed to Alice's and away again, and a cold weight settled on my heart.

.o.o.o.

The room gradually emptied, and Esme slipped away from my side. She stared out at the thick fog with a mournful expression.

"I trust you're not going to keep out of this." I contemplated approaching her, and decided not to.

"No, I won't," Esme replied.

"I thought not." A smile tugged half-heartedly at my lips. "I won't try and stop you."

A long silence passed. Rare in this house.

"So...this is it," Esme finally said. "We have to fight. _Victory at all costs._"

She and I sighed simultaneously.

"_Victory at all costs_," she repeated, raising her arm and pressing her hand against the glass where mine had been. "_Victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be..."_

_"For without victory," _I finished,_ "there is no survival._"


	34. Unexpected Allies

**AN ~ dedicated to twifantasyfan; new reader, favouriter AND 100****th**** reviewer! and of course all my other loyal and loved readers :) I'm working on the epicness of the battle, I promise** Chapter Thirty Four: Unexpected Allies

Carlisle:

It has been an eventful week, and tensions have been high. Bella injured her hand punching a werewolf in the face – which Edward was worried about but Emmett found quite amusing. Alice, Edward and Jasper graduated again – but this time Bella was with them. Alice insisted on throwing her party – for the most part of which, Esme and I were in Esme's workroom. In the middle of the party, Alice burst in, blabbering about the visitor and the newborns being related; Bella's theory, apparently. I should have known something as basic as a party couldn't go to plan this week, but I had to admit Bella was probably right.

"What does this mean?" Esme breathed.

"It means they aren't coming for us – they never were – they're coming for Bella," Alice said.

"Well-" Alice cut me off.

"It's too late, Carlisle. The decision's been made. They're coming."

Alice went back downstairs before she could be missed, and I collapsed onto the heap of cushions in the middle of the room.

"They're coming for _Bella." _I muttered. "Why didn't I see that?" It had never even occurred to me, otherwise I would have...well, I don't know. It's no wonder Aro is half-mad, with all the threats he has to manage. Was Edward right? Did Aro see us as a threat? Maybe Rosalie was right too, then: the Volturi choosing to overlook the careless newborns in return for a threat being eliminated.

"They're coming." Esme's voice trembled. She pressed her head against my chest and closed her eyes, her expression anguished. "An army, Carlisle, coming for our family. For Bella."

She was hugging a picture frame against her chest, so tightly I could hear the glass crack. Esme gasped quietly and held it away from herself so she wouldn't crack it again, and I gently pried it from her fingers. It was a shot Alice had taken of all of us at Bella's birthday party. I smiled sadly as I set it aside.

"We'll sort this out," I vowed, turning my attention back to Esme. She propped herself up a little, her arms on my chest, so that we faced each other. I ran a finger down her cheek, wiping away imaginary tears. "We'll keep Bella safe; the newborns won't get to Forks."

"But what will it cost us?" she demanded. "What more can the world want from us? How else will we be tested to keep Bella?"

"Maybe…If I…" I shook my head before the idea could become too thought out. It was too late for that.

"No, don't change her. She needs to be human, even if she doesn't realise it. She's going to say yes to Edward, right?" Esme was desperate: desperate for a promise that wouldn't be broken, desperate for words she could trust. I put my hands on her cheeks and she smiled crookedly.

"He proposed, didn't he?" she asked. "That was his condition."

"Yes," I said, though without her enthusiasm.

Esme turned on her side, putting her ear over my heart, and closed her eyes as if she would go to sleep. I shut my eyes too, but I was praying. I had not seen first-hand what the newborn armies could do, but even taking them on one by one was difficult. I recalled the scars that ravaged Jasper's skin, and hoped that we would be better off than he.

"Are you asleep?" I murmured after a few minutes.

"Of course not," Esme replied.

"I can hope, can't I?"

Esme snorted and shifted her position. I bent one arm behind my head and twirled a lock of Esme's hair with the other hand, staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything and nothing.

After the party, when all the guests had left – with the exception of Bella, of course – Esme and I returned downstairs. The normal lights were on now, rather than the red and purple ones, and all that remained of the party were the scraps of food on paper plates on the tables.

The others were waiting when we got there; Alice wearing an enormous smile, Rosalie a scowl and Bella an expression of sheer horror.

"The werewolves have decided to join us," Jasper explained, his expression a strange combination of relief, curiosity and confusion. "Jacob agreed to have them meet us at three o'clock, in the field north of the Hoh Forest ranger station. I don't know about working together, but they seemed pretty determined to protect Bella. Since it's her they're after, the wolves will join us."

"Stupid mutts," Rosalie muttered.

"Rose," Esme reprimanded sternly. "Enough of the insults, thank you very much. They're going to help us – they might be saving your life – so be polite."

Her voice wavered at the end there. I squeezed her hand gently, encouraging her not to be afraid. With the wolves to help us, our numbers would be brought up. The fight would be over faster. There would be much less chance of losing someone. And this was all because of Jacob Black.

"I thought you said Jacob wasn't the Alpha?" I checked with Jasper.

"He's not," Alice said. "But they'll listen to him. They'll come."

"I should take Bella home," Edward suggested, his brow creased with concern as Bella took several deep breaths. Emmett laughed.

"Oh, so we're fighting on their side now? How come Bella's the only one who gets to deck a werewolf?" he asked. Bella laughed weakly. Esme smiled at her.

"Everything is going to be fine, Bella," she promised, kissing Bella on the forehead. "We're going to be all right now."

Bella nodded absently and Edward steered her out the door. Alice reached up to pat Bella's head as Edward led her past, and Esme laughed with relief and joy as she wound her arms around my neck to kiss me.

"This was a brilliant party," Alice declared, clapping her hands with excitement.

"I'd better help clean up," Esme excused herself. I nodded, smiling, as she pulled away and disappeared into the kitchen, and then I ran straight out the back of the house and jumped into the river, laughing with relief.

"Bella is a genius!" I cried, dancing around the bank, sopping wet. It was an odd feeling, and when I tried to imagine what I must look like I just laughed, but I was just so ecstatic. We were going to get through this, and perhaps this one human girl would end the werewolf-vampire cold war after all. Bella was just one miracle after another.

"Bella is a genius!" I sighed, collapsing into a patch of clover with the most idiotic grin on my face. Esme was suddenly beside me, her skin glittering in the sunset, and she kissed me on the cheek and smiled.

"You look like the luckiest survivor in history," she murmured, her lips hovering above mine. Her honey eyes looked into mine, radiating love and joy.

"And you look beautiful," I said, leaning forward and stealing a kiss before she could pull back. She laughed and rocked back on her heels.

"Come on," she said, her smile even in her voice. "You've got to look respectable when you meet Sam."

"Sam Uley?"

Esme nodded.

"The wolf pack leader."

That explains it then. According to Ephraim, if Sam and Jacob both had the gene, Sam would have turned first, as he was several years older. Sam must have known that the position belonged to Jacob. He was, after all, willing to obey Jacob's request to protect Bella even when it meant assisting - protecting - a large coven of vampires. Jacob was the key to everything. If he already had so much power within the pack, as Alpha he could see to it that a deal was made over Bella's transformation. He cared for her more than he detested Edward, so she at least would be safe. She would side with us, so with any luck, the minute Jacob stepped up to the plate, we were in the clear. I had always theorised this, but it was uplifting to see support for my hypothesis.

Alice was right. What a brilliant party.

.o.o.o.

Esme and I ran back to the house, both grinning like fools, and the rest of the family joined us to make our way to the rendezvous point. Edward was not with us – he had taken Bella home. The smile on my face turned grim as I recalled Bella's horrified expression: not only were Edward and his entire family ready to risk their lives for her, her best friend Jacob Black and all his friends were going to join us. Against all our wills, and against tradition. All for her. And if any of us were lost in the fight – still a possibility, God forbid – she would blame herself.

"Carlisle?" Esme wondered. We stopped; we were at the field. I shook away my doubt.

"I'm nervous, that's all," I explained, flashing her a smile.

"Who isn't?" she replied. She kissed my cheek lightly and moved off to talk to Rosalie.

I took a deep breath and looked towards the horizon as Emmett and Alice went to greet Edward and Bella. I twisted my ring anxiously around my finger. The saliant lion; valour and courage. The chevron; protection and strength. Above it all, the hand: faith, loyalty and justice. Where was the justice in this? In four days time, twenty confused, hungry, leaderless newborn vampires would be coming at us. If the Volturi didn't turn up before then - and I must admit, I doubted they would - it meant killing all twenty of them.

"_It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.__"_

I twisted around to see Jasper facing me.

"Nelson Mandella," he explained with a smile. "You've made the right choice, Carlisle. It's not always the easy one. You're out here with us, backing your decision, and that's what counts. You're a good leader and I'm proud to follow you. We all are."

We both turned towards the quiet creaks and crunches of the undergrowth that announced the arrival of our allies. I could feel the tension in the air, from us and them. This was a step up from our previous arrangement - and fortunately, it could even be an opportunity to encourage Jacob to accept a higher position within the pack. Unfortunately, Bella the miracle worker hadn't quite overcome the cold war yet. This was not going to be easy.

"_Damn," _Emmett muttered under his breath. "Did you ever see anything like it?"

A shiver of anticipation ran through me. Moments later, the looming forms of several werewolves slowly emerged from the shadows.


	35. Training

**AN ~ here is fight training...dun dun DUNNNN...I'll try and post the next chap tomorrow but I'm sleeping over a friend's place so it might not be for a few days. Hopefully the training will tide you guys over til then.**

**It's an intense time for Carlisle and Esme and fighting is a very intense and challenging thing for me to write. Please let me know how I'm going (also, any cool moves anyone should try out?)**

Chapter Thirty Five: Training

I took a slow, deliberate step forward, swallowing the venom in my mouth and trying to smile at the looming shapes before me. The leader, Sam, looked straight at me. I did the same to him.

"Welcome," I said, after an intense silence.

"Thank you," Edward replied in a voice that was not his. Sam was speaking through him, I realised. "We will watch and listen, but no more. This is the most we can ask of our self control."

"That is more than enough," I replied smoothly, hugely relieved that we wouldn't be expected to fight inter-species. That could end very badly. "My son Jasper-" I gestured to him, "- has experience in this area. He will teach us how they fight, how they are to be defeated. I'm sure you can apply this to your own hunting style."

"They are different from you?" Sam asked through Edward.

"They are all very new, only months old to this life – children, in a way. They will have no skill or strategy, only brute strength. Tonight their numbers stand at twenty – ten for us, ten for you – it shouldn't be difficult. The numbers may go down: the young ones fight amongst themselves."

A mumble passed through the wolves as they took in my words with what appeared to be enthusiasm. I sighed, wishing that I hadn't described our soon-to-be opponents as 'children'. It made what we were about to do just that much worse. I couldn't help wondering - how did it come to this?

"We are willing to take more than our share if necessary," Sam offered, snapping me out of my reverie.

"We'll see how it plays out," I replied with a smile, welcoming their offer as well as the promise of cooperation that came with it.

"Do you know when and how they'll arrive?"

"They'll come across the mountains in four days, in the late morning," I explained, relaying details Alice had given. "As they approach, Alice will help us intercept their path."

"Thank you for the information. We will watch."

One by one, the wolves lowered themselves onto their stomachs.

Jasper stepped into the space between the werewolves and I, and glanced at Edward, who nodded. Only then did he turn his back on the wolves; he was clearly uneasy about it despite Edward's assurance.

"Carlisle's right," he started. "They'll fight like children. The two most important things you'll need to remember are first; don't let them get their arms around you and second; don't go for the obvious kill. That's all they'll be prepared for. As long as you come at them from the side and keep moving, they'll be too confused to respond effectively. Emmett?" Emmett stepped out of our line wearing an enormous smile, and Jasper backed up, moving along the passage between each group.

"Okay, Emmett first. He's the best example of a newborn attack."

Emmett's eyes narrowed.

"I'll _try _not to break anything," he muttered. Jasper grinned at him.

"What I meant is that Emmett relies on his strength. He's very straightforward about the attack. The newborns won't be trying anything subtle, either. Just go for the easy kill, Emmett."

Even from half the family away, I heard Esme shuffle her feet anxiously as Jasper backed up further and tensed.

"Okay, Emmett – try and catch me."

Jasper was like a ghost as Emmett tried to fight him, slipping away every time. Suddenly, Emmett froze – hands still reached out for Jasper. Jasper had him from behind, teeth hovering an inch away from the base of Emmett's neck. Emmett cussed. There was a mumble of appreciation among the wolves.

Alice went next, Bella white with terror the whole time, and then Edward – I had to break up that fight before it got out of hand. Then it was my turn, and I could hear Esme whimper under her breath as I gritted my teeth and snarled at Jasper.

He flew at me as swiftly as a falcon, and I spun out of the way. He lunged again, and I dodged again. I rolled beside the third charge and sprung to my feet in time to grab him by the neck and shove my elbow between his shoulder bones, forcing him to the ground.

"Good work," he muttered as I walked away. Of course, had he actually been trying to fight me, I would have been buried in a few seconds, but this made me appreciate the complement even more. _Besides, _I added, _if he thinks you'll be okay, then you will._

Esme's wide eyes tracked me back to my position. Rosalie went next, as fierce yet graceful as a cat. And then it was Esme's turn, and I was suddenly petrified.

She raked her fingers through her hair, scooping it up and binding it into a bun with an elastic so it didn't get in her face. Jasper crouched and snarled. Esme crouched too, growling quietly, watching Jasper's movements. I jumped when Jasper lunged and the woman before me transformed from housewife to predator. I had seen this side of Esme many times before, under all sorts of circumstances, but never could I imagine her so determinedly fighting one of the family.

Her brow creased in concentration, she blocked Jasper's arm just before it reached her neck. He tried with the other and she changed positions to block him there too. She attempted an upper cut to his chin, but it was too obvious, and Jasper was prepared. He grabbed her wrist and forced her to turn around so that her back was to him. Much to Emmett's delight, she regained control of the situation by scorpion-kicking Jasper in the groin. Needless to say, he was surprised. In less than a second, she had her teeth at his neck, and one hand wrapped around his throat. Seeing her son in such a vulnerable position, Esme's predator side faded for a moment.

Jasper flipped her onto the ground and pinned her there: his knees either side of her legs, one arm holding her collar bone down and rendering both shoulders immobile. She struggled but her efforts were fruitless. She cringed away from him just a little as the compromising position played on old fears.

"Try and get up," Jasper hissed. "You can do it, Esme. You're stronger than you were then."

She shook her head. Jasper knew enough was enough. His face twisted apologetically as he let her up.

"Don't forget to keep moving," he recommended. She nodded at him, shaken, and came back to our line.

.o.o.o.

"We'll be doing this tomorrow," Jasper said once he was done with the slower, more instructive demonstrations. "Please feel welcome to observe again."

"Yes," Sam answered. "We'll be here."

"The pack thinks it would be helpful to be familiar with each of our scents so they don't make mistakes later," Edward told us, his own voice returning. "If we could hold very still, it will make it easier for them."

"Certainly," I said to Sam. "Whatever you need."

The wolves slowly moved to their feet. Bella's eyes widened, panicked, as they moved forward to mingle with us. Sam approached me first. I held up my posture with some effort as he sniffed me and winced at the vampire smell. The russet-brown wolf, next to approach me, also seemed to be quite indifferent about the whole affair, which the other wolves considered an ordeal to be endured. They whined and bore their teeth at us in irritation and indignation, while the russet one gave Bella a goofy dog-grin and left his ranks to stand not two feet away from her. Edward stared at Bella, concerned. Esme was shocked, and I was curious. The wolf brought his head down to Bella's level.

"Jacob?" she breathed, reaching out to touch the side of his face. Suddenly, Jacob licked her from chin to hairline. Every vampire in the clearing was on their toes, and the wolves watching us warily.

"Ew! Gross, Jake!" Bella whined, jumping back and slapping him. Jacob gave a bark that sounded like laughter, and as Bella wiped her face on her sleeve she was laughing too.

The corner of Esme's lips were raised in a smile, but at the same time her nose was crinkled in disgust and her eyes wide with surprise. I realised my expression was probably similar. Sam looked unhappy about the pair's exchange, and so did Edward. Jacob laughed again.

.o.o.o.

Esme:

I composed my expression for Bella's sake, but Edward didn't bother. Jacob transformed and came back into the clearing, and he and Edward had some civilised conversation that soon became less civilised. They were discussing what to do with Bella. Jasper and Alice practiced some more, and we all took turns again.

Eventually, as the sun reached higher into the sky, Edward took Bella home and we sent out scouting pairs to watch out for any possible interruptions. It just so happened that Carlisle was out on one of these scouting patrols when an idea occurred to me. An idea that my husband would certainly not agree with.

"Wait," I said, holding up a hand to stop Jasper before he attacked. "I want you to test me."

"Esme…trust me, this is a bad idea," Jasper murmured.

"No, it's not," I made an attempt at resolve. "I want to be able to fight _her."_

"Victoria?" 

"Yes."

"Esme…" Jasper groaned. "Carlisle doesn't know about this, does he?"

"Please, Jasper. I need all the help I can get."

Jasper sighed.

"All right. Fine."

He pulled back, bore his teeth and had me on the ground before I knew what was happening.

Emmett gave a low whistle, impressed with his brother's prowess.

"Again," I said, getting back to my feet.

At least I had time to watch Jasper take me down that time.

_Thump._

"Too slow, Esme," Jasper coached. "Come on."

He pulled me up and circled me for a while, then lunged. I tried to catch him in the air, but he dodged out of the way and wheeled in the other direction. I think I managed to hold up for a whole ten seconds before I was on my stomach again, leaving the earth beneath me thoroughly compacted. I groaned as I rolled to my feet.

"Again."

This time Jasper coached me through it, and we went at a very slow pace, and I won. Then we did it at vampire speed, and Jasper changed tactics, but I was there; I grabbed his arm and twisted it in its socket so he was forced to double over.

"Ha," I said, grinning. My satisfaction didn't last long: Jasper simply clicked his arm out of place and flipped me over his head. There was another click, and Carlisle was leaning over me.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" he demanded of me. His voice was fiery with anger.

"I have to be ready, Carlisle," I replied, determined not to sound as wounded as I felt by the pain in my husband's eyes. His flash of anger had passed; all that remained was concern for me, and agony over what might happen.

"You promised," I whispered, looking straight into those eyes like I couldn't see the concern, the fear, the love that was there. "You promised not to stand in my way."

Carlisle sighed, but backed away and let me up. We had gathered quite an audience. Jasper stood closer than the rest of the family, his eyes humbly lowered from his father's face.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I never should have-"

Carlisle held up a hand. Jasper looked up.

"Jasper," Carlisle said quietly. "Help her."


	36. Predators

**AN ~ Can I just say, I LOVE this line? "Esme and Carlisle were talking a few yards away, heads close together, fingers linked, not paying attention." - Eclipse, p380. Awww!**

**Disclaimer: The above line is not mine :( nor is Eclipse, book or movie. You may have noticed that I stole 2 moves ****from the movie. I just think they were pretty awesome!**

Chapter Thirty Six: Predators

Esme:

It's almost time.

I know they aren't coming yet – Alice would have warned us if they were – but my eyes scan the forest constantly. Obsessively. I pace anxiously, running over Jasper's special training in my mind. Emmett and Jasper are practicing nearby, with Alice and Rosalie watching on one side and Jacob and two of his friends from the other. Edward and Bella are hidden. All of us are in danger.

Carlisle stopped my pacing by placing a hand on my hip and redirecting me. He locked his fingers in mine and gently kissed me. It was a sad kiss, lingering on my lips.

"I've seen what newborns can do, Esme, and it's terrible," he murmured. "They may fight like children but they are stronger and faster than any of us. One slip and they'll catch you out. And Victoria…" He hung his head, defeated, and I lifted his chin and kissed him. I wished he wouldn't worry so much, but I couldn't ask otherwise of him. I was worried too.

"Esme," he whispered. "I want you to know that I love you. More than anything in this world, anything at all."

"I know that," I told him, squeezing his hand. "I love you too. I'll be careful. I promise."

He sighed quietly and rested his forehead against mine. I pulled my wedding ring off my finger and pressed it into his hand, closing his fingers over it.

"I'm everything I am because you love me," I told him. I was paraphrasing a favourite song of mine. Carlisle didn't miss the reference. He stood up a little straighter, stronger, and even managed a small smile as he slipped the band back onto my finger.

"That's better," I breathed, and I kissed him one more time before I walked away, interrupting Jasper and Emmett to squeeze in one last practice.

Jacob was standing with Edward and Bella now, but the other two wolves looked clearly surprised as Jasper directed Emmett to stand opposite him – with me between them.

"Don't forget to watch us both," Jasper reminded me, lowering himself into a crouch. The chocolate brown wolf twitched as if he wanted to join us. I can't believe he _wanted _to do this.

"Bring it on, Ma," Emmett challenged.

I crouched and hissed, settling into predator mode, and from either side my sons sprang at me.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

"They're coming," Alice announced. She stood at my right shoulder, where Esme usually did. Esme was at my left, where Edward usually was. It felt odd not having Edward beside me. Over the last ninety years, he had been my second-in-command. Esme was quite happy to allow him that position, even though, as my mate, it was technically hers. She has stepped up to fill his shoes today, though, as Edward is with Bella higher up in the mountains: the newborns would be led here, to us, and their prey would be hidden and safe. We hoped.

"Get ready," Jasper warned. We did; organising ourselves into rows of wolf, two vampires, and a second wolf each.

Sam, Alice, Jasper and a wolf I didn't know the name of were in the front row. The first of the newborns appeared, and some of them laughed, brimming with confidence, as they ran towards us. Slowly, it dawned on them. It was painful to watch as, one by one, their faces dropped as they realised that Bella was not here. They had all been tricked, and now they were in serious danger. Our front row met them head-on. A few of them were already dust before Jasper signalled for the second row - Emmett, Rosalie and the two wolves I didn't know the name of but who had come to watch the training sessions with Jacob.

Alice ducked a swipe from a grizzled man in a builder's uniform. She couldn't engage him without turning her back on the thick of the fight - not to mention the huge wolf ploughing towards her. Swift and nimble as always, she flipped through the air and the wolf ran underneath her, taking down the newborn she had dodged and leaving her free to engage her next opponent.

Emmett was cutting his way through the crowd easily, careful to keep an eye on Rosalie, who was engaged in a ferocious duel with a young brunette who, judging by her stance and actions, had been familiar with several martial art forms in life. Nearby, Jasper fought with a steeled expression, never facing one direction for too long, and never losing track of Alice's position. In fact, he seemed to watch everywhere at once.

Esme and I now stood between Jacob Black, who had arrived later than most of his comrades, and an especially disdainful grey wolf who I suspected was female. We waited, surprisingly calmly, for our signal.

"Go!" Jasper shouted, waving an arm at us. We leapt into action as the last of the newborns entered the clearing. There were about five in this group, who were completely without regiment, like a herd of startled deer.

Jacob and the grey diverted, catching the wingmen of the herd formation. I was several paces ahead of Esme when I reached the tail of the group. I was glad for the speed; I didn't get a close look at anyone's faces, I only had to grab and pull. I tried not to think about it as the resistance under my hands crumbled away.

"I'm sorry," I murmured to whoever it was. Suddenly, it felt like I was running through tar. I couldn't get more than a few paces from the body before I was forced to stop. I didn't dare turn to face the body, though - or, more accurately, the remains. My eyes were locked on the newborn tearing towards me. He reminded me of Emmett, but that's not what was stopping me. I couldn't move. I was trapped by the knowledge that I had just_ killed_ someone. As a doctor I had lost a lot of patients in my time. I had supervised capital punishment as a human, and had not stepped in to prevent the Volturi's 'lunches' as a vampire. But never had I actually killed anyone with my own hands.

_Ever._

Until now.

"Carlisle, what are you doing?" Esme shrieked, jumping over me just in time to avoid a collision. She knocked the charging newborn off his feet, cart-wheeled over him and tossed him away from us, where he was soon plucked from the air by the grey from our row.

Esme twisted around to face me, eyes wide with terror.

"Move!" she shouted, jerking a hand towards the battle. She was right. I should move. I had to move. But I couldn't.

"Carlisle, are you insane?" she yelled as she raced towards me. "You have to keep-"

She was knocked off her feet by an angry newborn. The pair skidded across the ground; the newborn trying to kill her, she trying to get free before both were swept into the thick of the battle.

"CARLISLE!" Esme screamed.

It took no more than that to inspire me back into action. I almost flew towards them. I pulled the newborn off Esme and she cried out in agony, her face contorted with pain and both hands pressed to her right side.

As quickly as possible, I dispatched the newborn. I glanced around: the wolves were chasing several newborns who had run into the trees, and the few newborns left in the clearing were at the other end, being taken care of by the others. I fell to my knees by Esme's side. Her face was creased with anguish, both hands pressed against her right ribs.

"Did he get your ribs?" I asked, flustered. She managed a nod.

"A little," she told me. Grimacing against the pain, she held out her left arm and I wrapped mine around it and helped pull her up. I put my hand where hers had been. I could feel the cracks in her skin.

Suddenly, her pain seemed to disappear. She glared into the trees for a moment, and before I could say a word, she disappeared too.

"Esme!" I cried, shooting after her. She was in no state to fight Victoria. If those cracks didn't seal up very soon, she was in extreme danger of being snapped in half at the middle. She wouldn't die from breaking up, but incapacitated like that, Victoria would make very short work of her.

"Carlisle, look out!" I heard distantly. Rosalie? I whipped around, searching for her face, only to be trampled over by a near-flying newborn. Quick to recover, wrapped my arms around her legs. She fell and I rolled, grabbed her neck and twisted. There was a screech and a crunch, and it was all over.

My hands shook violently as I got to my feet. Looking around as the last of the newborns in the clearing collapsed into dust, I felt sick to the stomach. I twisted my ring around my finger uncomfortably and remembered Jasper's words.

_You're out here with us, backing your decision, and that's what counts. You're a good leader and I'm proud to follow you. We all are__._

At least they were all safe. Now that the newborns were out of the way, my family was safe. It had been hard, but I had backed my decision, and protected the ones I love. That's what leaders do. That's what counts.

Jasper smiled knowingly as he strolled towards me. The rest of the family convened too, brushing their clothes or picking things from their hair as they came. If it weren't for the battlefield-worthy carnage around us, it would be hard to believe that, just a few seconds ago, we were all such ferocious predators.


	37. Esme's Quest

**AN ~ I am aware that some people find multiple POVs tedious/annoying but it was necessary in this case because there's so much going on in a very short space of time. **

Chapter Thirty Seven: Esme's Quest

Carlisle:

I couldn't stop fidgeting as I waited for Esme to return. She'd only been gone a minute, but here and now, that was 59 seconds too long. I paced. I ran my hand through my hair. I tried desperately not to panic as the second minute ticked over.

I paused for a moment and thought - am I being too dramatic about this? Really, what can happen in two minutes?

It didn't take long for an answer to come. Too many answers, actually. I bit my lip and shoved them away. I needed to think about something else.

The family. After Esme, they were my first priority. They'd be Esme's too. She'd make me swear black and blue that they were all unharmed and accounted for. Even if Victoria had...won...Esme would have trusted me to keep the family safe. I felt only a minute release of tension as I looked around to assure myself of their wellbeing.

Alice was chiding Jasper for his recklessness as he flexed his fingers to exorcise the pain of a bite to his arm. Apparently he had been trying to protect her while also fighting too many opponents. He laughed off her concern and graciously accepted her chastising: he had fared much worse in other battles.

Rosalie was lathering Emmett with kisses and he was simply lapping up the attention. He had several tears in his shirt and shallow cracks in his skin where he had effectively ploughed through the newborn army.

Three minutes.

Esme was not back yet. My entire body was burning with the need to go find her, to make sure that she was safe, but I couldn't leave the group now. There were still newborns running around in the forest, as well as the pack and Victoria. If one of them killed me, it wouldn't do anyone any good. It was either all of us go, or nobody, and if we all went - and probably even if I went alone - we would be enough of a distraction to Esme to practically hand her to Victoria on a silver platter.

If she's even still...

No. I mustn't think like that. Esme will be fine. She's an excellent fighter, and Jasper has helped her immensely.

But Victoria won't fight her. She'll dart in and run off. Esme will be under constant ambush.

I half-whined and half-growled, then glanced up at the tree line and scanned the sky for pillars of billowing purple smoke. There were none. Yet.

Four minutes.

.o.o.o.

Esme:

Victoria's bright orange hair danced in front of me like flames, taunting me, teasing because I was only _almost _fast enough. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to go faster, my muscles screaming with resistance. They weren't supposed to stretch or grow, I wasn't supposed to be able to run any faster than my top speed, but I had to.

The skin across my torso also roared its hatred; relentlessly being pulled and released, pulled and released, pulled and released with every step while the cracks the newborn had given me were trying to heal.

I snarled in frustration as the flicker of orange disappeared from sight. Then returned. Then disappeared. Victoria giggled and kept on. I followed. She had slipped away from me countless times. Today, she would not. I was alone, she was alone. Only one of us was coming out of this.

Victoria seemed to share my opinion. She skidded to a halt a hundred yards or so in front of me, and grinned at me like the Cheshire cat as I threw myself at her. Of course, Victoria was prepared for a move as rash as that; she easily caught me and crushed me against the ground, her hand at my throat. She was off-balance, though, so I grabbed both of her shoulders and flipped us over. The easiest, safest method would be to snap her neck, but to do that I would have to release her arms, which means she would probably -

Taking me unawares, Victoria flipped me back onto the ground. She fixed my legs against the dirt by putting one knee either side of them. I couldn't kick them free. She laughed. One of her arms across my collar bone pressed both my shoulders against the earth, restricting movement of my arms. I was trapped.

"You just never give up, do you?" Victoria purred, dragging a finger of her free hand up my neck and winding it into a lock of hair that had come loose to hang by my ear.

"Of course I don't. Neither do you." It was a struggle to sound confident under duress, but my voice scarcely wavered. Jasper's words were ringing in my head: _Try and get up, Esme. You can do it._

"You can never understand why I do what I do," Victoria hissed, her mad but innocent facade disappearing for a moment. She clamped a hand around my throat and narrowed her eyes. "Don't you dare pretend it."

I felt a pang of sadness for her, but it left me in an instant. Each of her spidery fingers grasping my neck served as intimidating reminders. I had to focus. How to get up, how to get up, how to-

Victoria roared with frustration at my not having answered her, and snapped my head to the left. Groaning with the effort, I forced my whole body to turn as well. Startled at my bizarre tactic, Victoria was tilted off balance again; just for a moment, but it was enough so I could knock her away - not far, though - and stagger to my feet.

"Come on, sweetheart," she crooned, crouching and backing up. "Let me pass, and I'll let you live. Edward is the only one I want to hurt. You can walk away from this now. I saw your mate not long ago. I'm sure you want to be getting back to him. I'd go back to James, if I could."

She pouted innocently. There were shadows in her eyes. For a moment, if felt like I was looking into the poor woman's tormented soul. Sadness and sympathy threatened to overwhelm me. I refused them purchase in my heart.

"No," I growled. "You will not lay a finger on Edward."

She laughed.

"I have no intention of _laying a finger on _Edward," she said. Her voice had a psychotic twist. "Oh no. I'll not harm him. Not physically at least. But he will pay for what he's done. I want him to feel the pain I felt when he took my James from me!"

She jumped forward, hoping that she had distracted me enough to get past, but I was prepared. I shoved back. In fact, I grabbed her and slammed her against the ground.

"If you _touch _Bella, I will _kill _you." I snarled. I fully intended on killing her anyway, because I knew nothing I could say would make her reconsider her course of action. My fingers wrapped themselves tightly around her neck, my knees digging into her stomach. Victoria was just smiling slyly up at me. I hesitated, instantly suspicious. I knew that look. It meant she knew something I didn't.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

Five minutes passed.

Six.

Nearly halfway through the sixth minute, Alice gasped, interrupting my anxious count. We quickly gathered around her.

"What is it, darlin'?" Jasper crooned, stroking the hair out of his mate's eyes as they returned to the present. "Is it the Volturi?"

"No." She shook her head, and her eyes locked on mine with such sadness and intensity that I knew what she was going to say.

"Carlisle...oh, Carlisle...It's Victoria. She won."

.o.o.o.

Esme:

"Riley!" Victoria cried helplessly, flailing uselessly. "Oh, Riley, she's going to hurt me!"

"Who's Riley?" I demanded. "What are you-"

Before I could finish, someone picked me up by the back of the shirt and tossed me far away from Victoria. I hit a tree with a _thud, _and fell to the ground, bringing half a tonne of snow down on my own head. I heard the growls and splintering crunches of the wolves fighting not far off. From the sounds of it, they were just finishing up. They hadn't been anywhere near me when I had been fighting Victoria. How far had I gone?

I looked deep into the trees, hoping for that flash of red, that beacon that would call the chase back on, but I could see nothing, hear nothing, smell nothing of Victoria.

I groaned and threw my head back. It hit the tree, bringing down more snow, and I moaned loudly, expressing frustration and rage that couldn't be relieved with words.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

The search was on, with no question of safety. The wolves had probably finished up the newborns by now anyway. We ran, urgent and tense as we searched the forest, and Alice searched for Esme's fate.

"She's okay," Alice sighed, slowing to a jog. "Victoria followed through with her usual tactic. She's gone. Esme's not far - just through there. But God, she looks a wreck, Carlisle."

The others dropped away with Alice, but I kept running until I set eyes on Esme. Her hair was mad, her clothes torn - well, what I could see of them, anyway. She was half-buried in snow, and moaning in agony, anger and frustration. But she was safe.

"Esme, Esme," I breathed, hurrying towards her. It was all I could say, all I could think. I pressed on through the thick snow and wrapped my arms tightly around her. She had her eyes shut and her head leant back against the tree trunk, but she must have heard or smelt me coming. Nevertheless, she didn't react until I kissed the top of her head and took a deep breath of her delicate aroma.

She turned to me with forlorn eyes, apologising and begging me for understanding. She leant into my chest, burying her face against my shoulder. I rested my cheek gently on it and hummed softly.

"Oh Carlisle," she choked at last. "I messed up. I let Victoria go. I failed."

"No, sweetheart. Never," I disagreed gently. "Alice saw it. Victoria tricked you. This is not your fault. The others will have informed the wolves of what happened, and the message has probably already been relayed to Seth and Edward. They can take care of it."

"Is everyone safe?" Esme pried herself off my chest and looked into my eyes with a new strength. I smiled at her and nodded.

"You gave us a bit of a scare," I said, "but we're all fine."

Esme laughed once and sniffed, reluctantly standing up. I followed, and gently pulled her close. I gave her a soft kiss, and her grief, frustration, anger seemed to fade away. Both of us sighed, and she entwined her fingers faithfully in mine.

"We should be getting back," she breathed.

"One more?" I requested, eyeing her now smiling lips.

She obliged.


	38. Mercy

**AN ~ Carlisle is pretty hard on himself this chapter :( but I mean, wouldn't you be if you let pretty much your only reason for existing almost get killed while you stood around and counted?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eclipse or the characters, or the Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. I have used a little bit of SSLoBT (ie they were lied to, that she knows Riley etc) but not the specific dialogue etc.**

Chapter Thirty Eight: Mercy

Esme:

Now that his worry had passed, Carlisle's expression bore relief and guilt. He wasn't going to let this one go as quickly as I was willing to. In fact, I'd rather not dwell on this awful day any longer than absolutely necessary.

I opened my mouth to tell him so, but was interrupted by a timid, fearful murmuring.

"Find a place to hide. Don't let them find me, as long as they don't find me I'll be safe, I don't want to fight them," the quiet voice mumbled. It sounded like a little girl. Another newborn? I glanced questioningly at Carlisle, but the source of the sound soon revealed herself.

A fragile, cowering newborn with dark hair flitted into view, stopping here and there like a small bird, sniffing for the safest way out of the region. She was only fourteen or fifteen years old.

"How do I get out?" she murmured to herself. "How do I-" She froze when she saw us, her bright red eyes as wide as saucers.

"Mercy!" she begged, throwing herself to the ground. "I don't want to fight! I'm scared! I want to go home!"

"It's okay," Carlisle offered quietly, kneeling in front of the newborn. "If you can control yourself, we can help you. Would you like that?" 

The girl looked up, and after a moment of hesitation, she nodded.

"Help me, help me," she murmured, incessantly but gratefully. She was still shaking. The poor child.

"What's your name?" I asked. Her eyes flicked from Carlisle's face to mine, and she jumped and scrambled backwards as if she had only just noticed I was there at all. Carlisle shuffled aside and I retreated a step, and Bree examined me with her wide red eyes.

"B-Bree," she stammered at last.

"Hello Bree," I greeted with a wide smile. "My name is Esme. My family and I would love to have you. Would you like to come with us?"

Bree nervously smiled back and nodded.

"Before you come with us, honey," I clarified, "we have to warn you; there's a human called Bella who we love very much, and you mustn't hurt her, okay?"

"Okay. I won't touch her. I swear. I'll do _anything."_

I glanced at Carlisle and he nodded. So I took Bree's hand and helped her up. She pressed herself close to me as we walked. I hugged her tightly back; my promise of protection.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

I followed Esme and Bree closely, observing every familiar nuance of Esme's step, reassuring myself that she was here; safe, happy, whole.

_No thanks to you, Carlisle._

I tried to ignore that little voice - Esme was safe, after all, and that's what mattered - but it was relentless. And it was right. A fat lot of good I did for her, dawdling back in the clearing when I should have been trying to help her. She may very well have died while I was there, and what would I have done to stop it? Nothing. Esme meant so much to me - more than the world, far more than my own life - and I had just left her to fend for herself. Against _Victoria! _Newborns or no; that was the most stupid, reckless, heartless thing I think I've ever done.

"I'm sorry," I said. Esme turned around. She and Bree looked quizzically at me; curious and concerned.

"I'm sorry," I repeated, looking deep into Esme's eyes, begging for her forgiveness. "I should have come for you. I should have done something...anything..."

I lowered my eyes. I couldn't look at Esme any longer. Never had I imagined betraying her so deeply. Never in my worst fears had I contemplated Esme's death with myself as a bystander. I would fight for her until the last bone in my body crumbled to dust. We both knew that.

So where was I today?

"You were worried, sweetheart," Esme kindly pointed out, gesturing for Bree to stay put as she slowly approached me. "You panicked. You killed someone today - three, if I'm not mistaken - and even though you know it was the only thing to be done, it cannot be easy on your poor soul. And you stayed with the family, right? You didn't want to see them in danger. You have such a big heart, Carlisle; you were only trying to do the right thing. It's no wonder you were confused. What you did is perfectly understandable."

"No, it's not." I shook my head and stepped away from Esme. I pulled the golden chain from around my neck. "Yes I killed people, yes it was hard, yes I wanted to protect the family...but Esme, abandoning you like that was the worst thing I've ever done. It was definitely, undeniably, the _wrong _choice. How can you say that was understandable? How can you say I still have a heart - have a _soul _- after that?"

The chain slipped from my fingers, the crucifix falling into the dirt, as I sat down on a nearby log and put my head in my hands, shaking. What do I do? Who am I now? Panic and grief tore at me like a tornado, recklessly shredding every positive thought I tried to conjure. It had been more than three hundred years since I'd felt like this much of a failure.

As usual, it was Esme who came to rescue me.

"I can say it because I know you," she whispered, coming to sit beside me on the log. "I know you inside out. I know you are a good person and that you love me very, very much. And I know that there is someone here with us right now, who wouldn't have been granted a second chance if it weren't for your soul."

She put her hand on top of mine and I followed her gaze over to where Bree squatted in the middle of the clearing, her eyes fixed on the tiny gold crucifix in the dirt at my feet. She looked mystified, utterly enchanted by the object.

"If you can wear that, you _must _be special," she murmured. Her eyes darting to my face, scrutinising it.

"I'm not special, Bree," I sighed, shaking my head in pity, wondering what other lies this poor girl had been told about us.

"You are," she insisted. "None of the others would save me. They would kill me. The other yellow-eyes killed us. You killed some too but only because you wanted to save the other yellow-eyes."

"That's right," Esme agreed gently. "The other yellow-eyes are our family."

"I thought- I thought you were going to kill me too," Bree stammered. "But then you didn't. You didn't even look angry when you talked to me. You knelt down. Riley told us you wouldn't. He said the yellow-eyes thought they were better than us, and we should hate them because they were so mean. He was wrong. I like you."

She smiled at me like a small child I had just presented with an enormous ice-cream. As if I were the friendliest stranger she could ever have possibly come across. As if I were the most wonderful person in existence at that moment in time.

Esme squeezed my hand and kissed my cheek.

"Has this whole thing taught you nothing?" she asked, smiling good-naturedly. "_I _thought up the idea, _I _got Jasper to train me, _I _ran off, _I _fought Victoria - I never asked for your help. You would have given it if I had, now wouldn't you?"

"Well of course, but-"

She pressed a finger to my lips, cutting me off.

"If I needed your protection, I would have asked. What I need now is for you to forgive yourself. I want you to be there for me, to comfort me, to trust me, want me, _love_ me - and I know that you will do that, forever."

She scooped up my crucifix, wiped the dirt off it and pressed it into my hands. Her fingers lingered on my ring.

"Valour, strength, and justice," she reminded me. She glanced at Bree, and added; "and mercy. Mercy's a big one."

The phrase _love means never having to say you're sorry _came to mind. I don't believe it - I never have. To me, love means finding forgiveness when you do apologise.

"I love you," I whispered, looking up; she was still looking at our hands, resting all four together on my lap.

"I love you," Esme replied, looking up and meeting my eyes. Everything that had needed to be said, was said in those three words.


	39. Safe at Last?

**AN ~ If you read chap 38 without the "I would have asked" conversation, plz go back; it's kind of an important point which I forgot to bring up originally **

Chapter Thirty Nine: Safe at Last?

Carlisle:

Bree felt comfortable to walk between Esme and I, each hand tightly clasping one of ours, as we walked through the forest to the clearing where our friends and allies waited. When we entered the clearing, Jasper - who had taken over in the absence of myself, Edward and Esme - came to my side in a flash. Bree cried out and recoiled, pressing herself against Esme. Her eyes flitted over Jasper's skin, examining the very visible scars. She was frightened enough of us without having a war veteran flash his scars in her face.

Jasper didn't seem to care.

"And what, pray tell, are you doing with _that?"_ he demanded of me, pointing an accusing finger at Bree, who cringed in response.

"She surrendered," I explained calmly, though I was shocked at Jasper's behaviour. He was not as well-known for his compassion as I was, but he certainly wasn't heartless. How could he look at that poor, helpless girl and expect me to kill her?

"Surrendered?" His eyes widened. "Carlisle, _surrender _is not in a newborn's vocabulary."

"Be that as it may, she literally threw herself at my feet and begged for mercy - what was I supposed to do? Kill her in cold blood?" 

Jasper examined me for a moment, and then sighed.

"I suppose I should have expected it..." he murmured. He shook his head pitifully. "But that's no excuse. Honestly, Carlisle. Only you would-"

He was cut off by a flash of grey, almost instantly followed by a familiar russet brown, shooting past us. We all turned to watch the two wolves as they darted for the trees. Bree screamed. Esme hugged her tighter. I stiffened when I recognised the runners: the grey female, and none other than Jacob Black. Just before they reached the forest, the grey skidded and tried to regain her footing.

A newborn clawed at her neck, and she rolled to try and get him off. He fell, but only to pummel her paw and lower leg when she tried to bat him away. She certainly had skill on the battlefield, but she was tiring and her muscles no doubt stiffening after the larger battle today. Luckily, Jacob saw his opportunity.

He dove into the fray, knocking the grey clear as the newborn tried to get his arms around her. He staggered awkwardly, and though he recovered well, he was too late to defend himself. The newborn already had his arms around Jacob like a vice. For one painfully long moment, we watched in horror, until a devastating _crunch _broke the silence. Jacob had managed to destroy the newborn, but he was not faring much better. He yelped and howled like someone was trying to throw him into Hell's fire. Broken bones scraped each other audibly and he was splattered with blood. Everyone in the clearing stood stock-still as Jacob struggled in vain to get back to his feet - even Rosalie looked horrified at the poor wolf's fate.

The grey stood near Jacob, torn between fear and indignation. That didn't stop her from snarling bitterly at me when I tried to approach Jacob. She crouched low and bore her teeth, warning that we might have been allies a minute ago, but she was willing to change that status at any sign I gave.

"Please, let me through." I held up my hands in a gesture of surrender and took a step forward. The grey eyed me warily and stalked back a step, pulling away to the side, granting me permission. I took my opportunity, rushing to Jacob's side.

"Are you mad?" Jasper called. "Don't turn your back on her!"

I valued his advice - God knows I wasn't pleased with the idea - but I wasn't going to let Jacob lie there in agony and bleed to death, for his sake and ours. If the grey was protecting him by standing behind me, then so be it.

Jacob whimpered throatily in distress. The grey huffed from behind me: _I'm still watching you, _it warned. I repressed a shiver and began my attempted examination. It was quite hard to diagnose with all that fur in the way, not to mention the structural differences between wolves and people, the fact that I couldn't breathe and that I had a very large, very mad wolf behind me, just waiting for the opportunity to tear me to pieces.

Jacob seemed to understand the stress I was under. He whined uncomfortably but otherwise barely fidgeted as I examined his wounds as best I could: healing quickly, but quite serious. Even at this rate, a full recovery would take a few days, and I couldn't be sure the wound was clean under all that fur and the terrible smell.

Sam and another wolf arrived then, and the grey looked rather embarrassed. Sam turned to me and huffed, as if to say; _you are dismissed._

.o.o.o.

The wolves cleared off and I joined the rest of the family in the centre of the clearing to see that the bonfire had died down to a thick cloud of purple-grey smoke. I threw the rubble of Jacob's kill onto the coals and flames licked at it. With a shudder, I looked away: I met Jasper's face.

"I fully understand your intentions," he said. "But I still have to warn you that this is a terrible idea. There are a lot of dangers in attempting to raise a newborn you have not created. Do you think she's going to conform to our diet now? She hasn't even had anyone monitoring her _number _ofkills, let alone their severity."

"Bree is different," I replied. She was young and certainly averse to violence: she would see soon enough that our path was a good one for her. "And it's not like I haven't managed vampires who have spent their whole existences living on human blood. I think one hundred years is far harder to reverse than a few months."

Jasper scowled.

"That's different. I'm old enough to know better, and I have always held a great respect for you. And even then, it's so hard sometimes-"

I held up my hand to clear up the misunderstanding.

"And I respect you for that. I really do. I don't mean to discredit your achievements, Jasper. In fact, a role model like you might help Bree even more than I will."

"Oi, she has a name," Jasper groaned to himself.

"Of course she has a name! Is it really that hard for you to grant her a little mercy? She's terrified!"

"All right, all right!" Jasper held up his hands. "I'll try not to be so hard on..._Bree. _But please, don't get your hopes up."

.o.o.o.

"Carlisle!"

Edward's panicked voice sliced through the air. Everyone stiffened in fear, smelling Bella's fresh blood - an open wound - on the air. Bree's nails tore into Esme's pant leg and she wailed loudly. She didn't make a move towards the newcomers, but Jasper was not convinced; he rushed to Esme's side and offered to take over minding Bree. She reluctantly let him, but was sure to stay close, sympathetically watching the struggling newborn.

Edward ran to me with Bella in his arms, limp as a rag doll. There was a smear of blood at the crease of her elbow, and her skin was pallid and covered in sweat. Her eyes were closed. Her breaths came in little gasps. Her erratic heartbeat gave her away; it struggled to use so little oxygen to pump as quickly and powerfully as its eager, adrenaline-fueled muscles attempted.

"Carlisle, what happened?" Edward demanded. "I told her about Jacob and she just collapsed! What's happening to her?"

"Calm down Edward," I put a hand on his shoulder. "It's just shock. Don't panic. She will come out of it of her own accord, and apart from perhaps feeling a little dizzy, there shouldn't be any problems."

"Okay," he said, trusting my judgment though he wasn't at ease.

"How's Jacob going?" I asked. He didn't take his eyes off Bella's face, but he replied.

"Sam's trying to get him to phase back and accept your medical assistance."

"Really?" We must have come closer over this than I had thought. All the better, I say.

"He's not happy about it," Edward elaborated, still shuffling his feet anxiously, "but he understands that this is the safest way for both our secrets. Paul - the other one who helped Jacob up - disagrees, but he can't argue with the Alpha."

"Bella!" Alice cheered, rushing over to Edward so quickly that she nearly bumped into him. After quickly glancing over Bella, she she turned to Edward and said, with the air of a child pretending to be in charge: "You really shouldn't worry so much, Edward. Bella's going to be fine."

Esme smiled comfortingly at Bree and then came over to join us. I reveled at the relief on her face when she laid eyes on her beloved human daughter.

"Dearest Bella," she sighed, resting her hand on the girl's cheek. "Safe at last." Esme's eyes were a dark, metallic colour, like tiger-eye - and at that moment, I could have sworn I saw a glistening tear in the corner of them.

"Carlisle," Alice tapped my shoulder. "The Volturi are coming."


	40. Jane

**AN ~ Very sorry to the readers of Life is Harder and A Valuable Experience...I haven't updated those in aaaaaaaaages. I am working on the next chap of LiH though (nearly finished, should be up v. soon).**

**Reviews: I was interested to read ppls opinions on Jasper a prominent feature of the (unfortunately small number) of reviews I have been getting - I'm glad I'm not letting him seem too heartless.**

**Disclaimer: Eclipse nor the characters are mine :( It was rather inconvenient that Jane and Carlisle had never met until now - grrrr! - but her reputation certainly proceeds her**

Chapter Forty: Jane

"When?" I asked.

"Soon - only a few minutes."

"What do we do?" Edward asked anxiously. "Carlisle?"

I felt everyone's eyes on me, a painfully heavy load. I shook my head to clear it. This was exactly the kind of situation I had been trying to avoid. Bella and Jacob couldn't help us now, either. There was no point worrying about it though: we couldn't fight them, we couldn't run, so we would just have to face whatever was coming to us.

"That's _it?" _Edward demanded. "Wait and see. That's your brilliant plan."

"Well sorry, Mister Perfect, but can you think of anything better?" Rosalie snapped. "We can't fight them. We sure as hell can't run now. This was always going to happen, anyway."

"Thank you, Rose. That's enough," I interrupted before Edward could reply. "Alice, try and get a fix on the time, please. Edward; the Volturi may or may not be using underhanded tactics to attempt to destroy this family, but trust me when I say they are not blunt enough to sweep in here with an army and wipe us out. If nothing else, it would be far too hard to clean up."

Edward nodded, kicking the dirt with the toe of his shoe, and glanced anxiously at where the unconscious Bella was now lying on the grass.

"Carlisle, it's been five minutes," he reminded me.

"She'll come around when she's ready, Edward," I told him - not for the first time. "She's had too much to deal with today. Let her mind protect itself."

"Alice, how long do we have?" Edward asked, distressed.

"Another five minutes," Alice replied. "And Bella will open her eyes in thirty-seven seconds. I wouldn't doubt that she can hear us now."

"Bella honey?" Esme crooned, leaning in Bella's direction. "Can you hear me? You're safe now, dear."

Edward murmured something into Bella's ear, and her eyelids fluttered. A smile touched Esme's lips and radiated in her eyes. I moved away from Edward and Bella to give them some space, sliding an arm around Esme's waist instead, quietly sharing the joy at our family's reunion and trying not to think of our soon-to-be visitors.

"Oh, Bella," Edward murmured, leaning over and pressing his lips gently to hers.

"Edward," she mumbled.

"Yes, I'm here," he assured her breathlessly.

She finally opened her eyes.

"Jacob is okay?" she asked, still sounding drowsy.

"Yes," Edward replied, reluctant to say more on the subject.

"I examined him myself," I explained: it was understandable Bella was concerned about her friend, even he was a werewolf. "His life is not in any danger. He was healing at an incredible rate, though his injuries were extensive enough that it will still be a few days before he is back to normal, even if the rate of repair holds steady.

"As soon as we're done here, I will do what I can to help him. Sam is trying to convince him to phase back to his human form. That will make treating him easier – I've never been to veterinary school." I smiled slightly; that would be even more ironic than my being a doctor!

"What happened to him?" Bella demanded, flustered. "How bad are his injuries?"

"Another wolf was in trouble-"

"Leah," Bella put in.

"Yes," I agreed, struggling to remember if we had even learnt the wolves' names. Jacob I knew – that was fairly obvious – and Sam, the leader, but the others were largely anonymous. Bella had more interaction with today's pack than I did, though, and Edward had told her the story, so I trusted her judgements on names.

"He knocked her out of the way," I explained, "but he didn't have time to defend himself. The newborn got his arms around him. Most of the bones on the right side of his body were shattered."

Bella flinched.

"Sam and Paul got there in time," I continued, recalling the names from what Edward had told me. "He was already improving when they took him back to La Push."

"He'll be back to normal?" she asked, her face regaining some colour.

"Yes, Bella, he won't have any permanent damage," I assured her. Bella took a deep breath.

"Three minutes," Alice said quietly.

.o.o.o.

We gathered around the dying bonfire and waited for our visitors. Jasper stood guardedly beside Bree, who was still moaning and clawing at the ground in anguish. Esme was quivering with anticipation in my arms, restlessly rubbing her palms with her fingers and switching her weight from foot to foot.

"Shhh, Esme, we'll be okay," I promised, kissing the top of her head.

"I know _we'll _be okay...but what about Bree?" she wondered quietly.

I hesitated. I had never seen a newborn surrender, so none had been offered a second chance. The Volturi were not so willing to grant mercy as I was. In their eyes, a law-breaker was just that, and deserved their punishment, no matter how repentant they may be. We could put forward Bree's case to them and they would have to decide.

"We can hope," was all I said.

Esme sighed, and I kissed the top of her head.

Suddenly, Bree screeched. A shiver ran through me and I sprung to defend her from Jasper, who was crouched, poised to attack. In less than a second I was at his side with a hand on his arm, holding him back.

"Have you changed your mind, young one?" I asked calmly, looking to the fearful red eyes of the newborn. Bree was torn between what she wanted now, and what she knew she'd prefer in the long-term. The fact that she would be destroyed if she attacked Bella didn't register into the equation.

"We don't want to destroy you, but we will if you can't control yourself," I explained.

"How can you _stand _it?" Bree groaned, the first intelligible sentence she had made since Bella entered the clearing. "I _want _her."

"You must stand it," I commanded firmly, trying to be gentle with the confused girl but finding myself running out of time. There was only a handful of seconds before the Volturi arrived. "You must exercise control. It is possible, and it is the only thing that will save you now."

Bree held her hands to her head, moaning quietly, and Jasper gave me a dark look as he and I started backing towards the others. Bree whimpered. I felt so cruel for leaving her out in the open like that. We had to be open, though. Secrets on our behalf were a danger - it was risky enough having to hide the werewolves' significant contribution to the battle.

Edward, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie and Esme were all converged around Bella now. Jasper hardened his expression as the Volturi representatives emerged from the trees.

"Hmm," someone announced their arrival, their voice flat and unamused.

"Welcome, Jane," Edward greeted without enthusiasm. I had heard a lot about Jane from Aro over the years, and though we had never met, I was not surprised that Edward was so cold towards her. She had the ability to inflict an illusion of pain on whomsoever she wished - Aro claimed it was a valuable interrogation tool. He had never expressedly told me, but from inadvertent references in stories, I got the impression that Jane used her abilities with abandon: being one of Aro's favourites gave her a higher status than the rest of the guard, save her brother Alec. His ability was in the form of a mist he could produce, which numbed the senses of those on trial. He too was held highly by Aro, and he too seemed a sour character. The two of them headed 'surveillance operations,' as well as destruction of threats.

I couldn't help wondering - who was the threat here? The newborn army in Seattle would be the official answer they would give, but had Edward and Alice been right in their suspicions?

_"You think someone's acting on their own? Why?"_

_"Caius' idea," Edward suggested._

_"...or Jane's." Alice added._

It was getting more and more difficult to defend the Volturi's professionalism. As much as I hated the suggestion, I had always known Aro's thirst for mystery, for theatre, for power was dangerously consuming. He was a cultured man; a little mad perhaps, but kind to those who he felt had earned it - his enemies, however, came to rue the day they were born. Two such enemies, Stephan and Vladimir - the only survivors of the revolt Aro and his brothers had taken up against the ancient Romanian rulers - have to this day been plotting their revenge, fuelled by a fiery hatred Aro himself ignited. They won't carry it out, though. Aro will wipe them out before they get the chance - perhaps, as with us, he'll send Jane to do the job.

All four Volturi had lowered their cowls now, and I diplomatically examined the selection Aro had sent to take care of the situation: Jane, Alec, brawny Felix and loyal Demetri. A formidable task force.

I contemplated the balance of power we now found ourselves in. Bella, being human, was worth the least to the Volturi. Slightly above her were the rest of the family, then higher than that, Demetri and Felix. Being the leader of a coven, I ranked higher than the guard. Unfortunately, Alec and Jane ranked even higher than me. If Aro's description of the relationship between the twins was anything to go on, Alec usually agreed with or deferred to his sister's decisions.

Jane holds the highest rank here.


	41. Consequences

**AN ~ RIP Bree Tanner :(** Chapter Forty One: Consequences

Carlisle:

Jane's eyes moved slowly across all our faces, then dropped to Bree, who was muttering madly, her head in her hands again.

"I don't understand," Jane said. Her voice was dry, toneless. Her dark burgundy eyes were suspicious.

"She has surrendered," Edward answered for me.

"Surrendered?" Jane demanded, a hint of curiosity shining through.

"Carlisle gave her the option," Edward explained.

"There are no options for those who break the rules." Jane's voice lost all its curiosity: it was as cold and cruel as ever.

"That's in your hands," I said. "As long as she was willing to halt her attack on us, I saw no need to destroy her. She was never taught." _Please, Jane, see reason…she can learn…_

Jane wasn't buying it.

"That is irrelevant."

"As you wish," I agreed; objection would lead to trouble we did not need, but perhaps there was some other way to convince her…

Jane stared at me, surprised and maybe even disappointed at my apparent willingness to comply. She shook away her surprise with the slightest movement, and composed her features.

"Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you, Carlisle. He sends his regards," Jane said politely. I nodded.

"I would appreciate if you could convey mine to him," I replied in the same tone.

"Of course," Jane said with an angelic smile. Her eyes moved away from my face to the remains of the bonfire. "It appears that you've done our work today…for the most part." She glanced at Bree. "Just out of professional curiosity, how many were there? They left quite a wake of destruction in Seattle."

"Eighteen, including this one," I replied. Jane was clearly taken aback by this. She looked back at the fire, trying to reassess the size of it.

"Eighteen?" she repeated.

"All brand-new," I shrugged dismissively: I couldn't make the fight sound too hard, because Jane would get suspicious about how we all managed to survive – no doubt she already was. Indeed, if we had been the only fighters, as we claimed, I dread to think of the shambled remains of the family who would be standing here. "They were unskilled."

"All?" Jane's voice turned sharp. "Then who was their creator?"

"Her name was Victoria," Edward answered blankly. Esme quivered, remembering all too well how she had been tricked and defeated, leaving the redhead free to attack Seth and Edward.

"Was?" Jane inquired. In explanation, Edward looked to the east, where a thinner pillar of smoke rose over the treetops. Jane looked that way for a long moment, and then examined the closer bonfire.

"This Victoria…" she wondered. "She was an addition to the eighteen here?"

"Yes," Edward replied. "She had only one other with her. He was not as young as this one here, but no older than a year."

"Riley," Esme hissed.

"Twenty," Jane murmured, trying to hide her shock. She quickly recovered and continued her interrogation. "Who dealt with the creator?"

"I did," Edward replied.

Jane's eyes narrowed into a glare, and her attention again returned to Bree. Esme shifted uncomfortably, only the slightest of movements, and the three cloaked guards behind Jane exchanged glances.

"You there," Jane demanded of the girl. "Your name?"

Bree gave Jane a hateful glare. Jane smiled amiably, and the girl gave a gut-wrenching scream, writhing against invisible bindings. Esme opened her mouth to object but I shook my head and she shut it again. Bella twisted away, looking as though she were about to be sick. My eyes were wide, and I couldn't tear them away from the convulsing, screaming Bree but to glance at Jane's face. She was still smiling - in fact, if anything, her smile had widened.

Finally, Bree's screams fell silent. Shaking limbs held her in a lopsided sitting position, and this time when she looked at Jane, it was with fear rather than bitterness.

"Your name," Jane demanded.

"Bree," the girl gasped. Esme's expression softened, but I kept my eyes on hers, warning her not to step out of place as Jane smiled again and Bree cried out in agony.

"She'll tell you anything you want to know," Edward explained through his teeth. "You don't have to do that."

"Oh, I know," Jane replied simply. I swallowed the growl in my throat; objecting would do neither Bree nor us any good. We were already treading on egg-shells.

"Bree, is his story true?" Jane demanded, her voice cold again. "Were there twenty of you?"

Bree was on her side, curled into the fetus position; she was panting, with dirt smudges everywhere. There were tears in her clothes, and her hair falling in front of her face. Worst of all, she shuddered and shook like a timid little rabbit, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. On hearing Jane's new question, she cringed like a beaten dog, expecting another bout of torture.

"Nineteen or twenty maybe more I don't know!" she cried. "Sara and the one whose name I don't know got into a fight on the way…"

"And this Victoria," Jane demanded. "Did she create you?"

"I don't know," Bree replied, trembling. "Riley never said her name…I didn't see that night…it was so dark…and it hurt…" Bree shuddered, and I glanced at Esme again to warn her to keep in place. She sadly nodded her understanding and returned her grieving eyes to Bree.

"He didn't want us to be able to think of her," Bree continued. "He said our thoughts weren't safe." Esme, Jane and I glanced at Edward. _Our thoughts weren't safe…_Victoria must have known about his ability.

"Tell me about Riley," Jane said. "Why did he bring you here?"

"Riley told us that we had to destroy the strange yellow-eyes here," Bree said quickly, willing to tell what she needed to if it meant avoiding Jane's torturous gaze. "He said it would be easy. He said that the city was theirs, and they were coming to get us. He said once they were gone, all the blood would be ours. He gave us _her _scent." She jabbed a finger at Bella. "He said we would know that we had the right coven, because she would be with them. He said whoever got to her first could have her."

Well he was fooling them on that part; Riley would have been the first newborn on the scene since he was with Victoria, and on top of that I doubted Victoria would be willing to let someone else kill Bella. This was, after all, a vengeance mission. Those newborns had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

"It looks like Riley was wrong about the easy part," Jane noted, her eyes flicking to my face. Her comment ruffled my feathers just a little; I was very proud of my family, and even if she hadn't meant it as a compliment, I would happily take it as such.

Bree nodded and carefully sat up, still quivering a little with the fear that Jane would hurt her again.

"I don't know what happened," she continued. "We split up, but the others never came. And Riley left us, and he didn't come to help like he promised. And then it was so confusing, and everybody was in pieces. I was afraid. I wanted to run away. That one-" she looked at me "- said they wouldn't hurt me if I stopped fighting."

"Ah, but that wasn't his gift to offer, young one. Broken rules demand consequences," Jane murmured gently. Esme and I both moved to react, but Jasper shot us each a warning glare. We stopped. Bree's eyes flickered between us, searching for some kind of recognition. Hope. Help.

"Are you sure you got them all?" Jane asked, snapping my attention back to her. "The other half that split off?"

"We split up too," I told her confidently; she didn't need to know exactly who the 'we' included.

"I can't deny that I'm impressed," she concluded. The other guards murmured in agreement. "I've never seen a coven escape this magnitude of offensive intact. Do you know what was behind it? It seems like extreme behaviour, considering the way you live here. And why was the girl the key?"

Her eyes fell reluctantly to Bella.

"Victoria had a grudge against Bella," Edward explained, making Jane laugh. It was a child's laugh, which seemed strange coming out of the mouth of one who smiled at the sound of screaming. She smiled again now, gazing at Bella in the same strange, benign way she had looked at Bree. Bella did not react, but Edward stiffened.

"Would you please not do that?" he asked. Jane laughed again.

"Just checking," she said merrily. "No harm done, apparently."

Bella shivered, but looked relieved. Her unreadable mind seemed to have retained its protective qualities.

"Well it appears that there's not much left for us to do," Jane said after a moment. "We're not used to being rendered unnecessary. It's too bad we missed the fight. It sounds like it would have been entertaining to watch."

"Yes, and you were so close," Edward replied, scrutinizing Jane's mind for a reason behind not being here earlier. "It's a shame you didn't arrive just a half hour earlier. Perhaps then you could have fulfilled your purpose here."

Jane met Edward gaze, unfazed though she knew his intent.

"Yes, quite a pity how things turned out, isn't it?" she replied, playing Edward's game. Something in her mind must have told Edward what he needed to know; he nodded to himself, satisfied with whatever it was.

Jane's gaze returned to Bree, now bored.

"Felix?" she invited.

"Wait," Edward interrupted. Jane raised an eyebrow at him, and Edward looked at me. "We could explain the rules to the young one," he proposed, a last ditch effort at saving Bree. "She doesn't seem unwilling to learn. She didn't know what she was doing."

"Of course," I agreed. "We would certainly be prepared to take responsibility for Bree."

Jane stared at us in amazement and disbelief.

"We don't make exceptions," she said, "and we _don't_ give second chances. It's bad for our reputation. Which reminds me…Caius will be _so _interested to hear that you're still human, Bella. Perhaps he'll decide to visit."

"The date is set," Alice interjected. "Perhaps we'll come to visit you in a few months."

_She said yes? _For a moment, I almost smiled, but the smile disappeared when Jane turned to me.

"It was nice to meet you, Carlisle – I'd thought Aro was exaggerating. Well, until we meet again…"

I nodded, trying not to let the pain show on my face as I forced myself to stand still. I looked apologetically at Bree, and her eyes widened in fear when she recognised our betrayal. Esme hung her head. Even Jasper looked a little disappointed.

"Take care of that, Felix," Jane said, flicking a hand dismissively in Bree's direction. "I want to go home."


	42. Building Bridges

**AN ~ my aunt who shall remain nameless is a nurse and the other day she told a story about how she almost killed an old lady with a morphine overdose (10mg) coz she had misheard; it was supposed to be a 2mg dose! I used this info a bit in this chap so forgive me if it's wrong but I'm no medical professional and my aunt is so...**

**Disclaimer: Eclipse is not mine**

**Reviews anyone? I'm not feeling very well at the moment :( I need some encouragement - I love hearing from you guys and I know there's a lot of lurkers out there, so come on and throw me a bone? Please? Thanks XD**

Chapter Forty Two: Building Bridges

Carlisle:

Billy and any members of the pack who might have stayed with Jacob already knew what was going on, but we couldn't guarantee that Charlie wouldn't be there - in fact, it was likely, so Edward, Bella and I took the Mercedes to the Blacks' house. We rolled into the drive with Jacob's fervent cussing ringing in our ears, and before I had cut the engine, Bella was battling with the door. Edward wrapped a hand around her wrist.

"Wait here," he hissed. "Charlie's here. You're supposed to be on a shopping trip with Alice remember?"

Bella looked as though someone had ripped something out of her.

"You're kidding," she snorted, tears glistening in her red eyes. The two of them stared at each other for a long moment, until Bella returned her hands to her lap. Edward, clenching his jaw, exited the vehicle in stony silence. Bella slowly began to move for the door again, and Edward snarled under his breath.

"Lock it," he demanded, stalking past me.

"Sorry Bella," I murmured. "It is for the best."

_Click._

"Hey!" Bella cried, surprised at my obedience. She hammered the window indignantly. "Carlisle!"

"Alibis," Edward mused. "She's going to have to work on that before..."

He trailed off, but I knew what he was thinking. Bella had agreed to marry him, which means he had agreed to change her. I hoped he knew how proud I was; he had put what was to him a very important issue in order to grant Bella her wish. It takes a lot of love and commitment to do that.

"Thanks, Dad," Edward murmured, smiling crookedly. We were at the door, though, and Charlie opened it before I could say anything in reply.

"Carlisle? What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised. His gaze moved past me to Edward, and his wide eyes narrowed. "I thought you were away…" his voice was suspicious now.

"Oh, yes, well…the weather was terrible," I said dismissively as I stepped inside. I couldn't even remember where we were supposed to have gone. "We might go next weekend if we get the time." Edward nodded casually in agreement, looking around the house as we walked through it but sticking close to me. Jacob Black wasn't the only wolf here.

"Thank goodness," Billy's voice came from behind Charlie, who shuffled to the side to let his disabled friend past. Billy didn't move into the space; he moved out of the way so that I could get past. His eyes were red, his cheeks marked with tears.

"I'm glad you're here. Jake's upstairs, cussing his lungs out…" With a look of immense relief on his face, Billy watched me start up the stairs.

.o.o.o.

When we got upstairs, Sam was waiting.

"'Bout time you got here," he grumbled, hardly audible over the curses flooding from Jacob's room. I opened the door and Sam took it, following me through and purposefully cutting Edward off. Edward wandered in after Sam as if he didn't care, but there was a low growl in his throat.

Jacob groaned and cried out and cussed loudly, not doing his crippled side any good. The skin was mostly healed, but before I reached the side of the bed I could tell that his bones were fusing badly. They were healing so fast that they were fixing themselves in the wrong places. That would have to be fixed. And that would hurt.

I pulled a syringe out of my bag and filled it with morphine; Jacob's naturally high temperature would burn it off very quickly, so even an excess dose wouldn't do any harm. I gave him the full dose at once, and he stopped struggling and swearing.

"Woah…" he moaned, his eyes going distant and unfocused. I tried not to think about the fact that 10mg of morphine - what I had just injected - was enough to kill some humans. Jacob's heartbeat had slowed dramatically, but it was still going strong: a reaction that could be elicited from a human with one-fifth, or even one-tenth, of what I had just given him. Curious.

"Carlisle," Edward murmured under his breath.

"Unlike you, we don't have all century," Sam sneered.

"Right, sorry." I shook my head and tried to focus on the mission at hand. I could feel Sam's eyes burning into my back, and Edward's casual yet confident gaze from just inside the doorway. I stared at Jacob but couldn't shake the overbearing awareness of Sam's presence. How exactly do you tell a werewolf who wants to kill you that you have to break his companion's bones?

"What's up?" Sam inquired gruffly. I turned around. Sam didn't look too mad - yet.

"His bones are healing quickly, but they're in the wrong places," I explained, taking a deep breath and forcing my shoulders down. "It's going to be worse for Jacob if they fuse badly."

"So…"

"So I'm going to have to...re-break the fractures."

There, I said it. I cringed, expecting a wolf to erupt at me. Sam's expression flinched, and his hands tensed into fists, but he did not object. He glanced at Edward, who reluctantly nodded and left the room. Now that it any fight would be a fair one, Sam felt comfortable enough to take a few steps back.

"I'll be watching," he warned.

I was certainly glad Jacob was unconscious as I examined the shapes of the bones, trying to work out the best way to do this. I didn't know how much time the morphine was going to give me, so I focused on speed and neatness.

"I'm not going to lie to you," I murmured as I gripped his right forearm. "This is going to hurt." His skin was torturously hot. I gritted my teeth at the blistering feeling. Jacob was about to endure much worse.

_Crack. _His arm.

_Snap. _His leg.

_Crunch. _A few of his ribs at once.

A snarl ripped out of Sam's throat, but he knew that what I was doing would be best for Jacob in the long run, and so refrained from attacking. He had invited me here, too, which means that if he hurt me, technically he would be violating the treaty. There wouldn't be much time for arguing that point, though; especially since the only evidence of an invitation was that Edward had read it in his mind.

There was a tangible release of tension as I straightened after having braced Jacob's newly broken bones.

"Okay, I'm done," I announced, turning to face Sam. He watched Jacob's face with concerned eyes. I packed up my things in silence, and was headed for the door when Sam called me back.

"He'll be all right, won't he?" he asked, worry shaking his voice though he tried to conceal it. I turned around to see him still staring at Jacob.

"He'll be fine, Sam," I replied with a gentle smile. "Just give him a few days."

"Good." Sam nodded. "Uh...thanks, I guess."

"I'm just doing my job."

"Yeah...about that - we can't exactly take him to a regular doctor, can we?"

"No. Breakages like that would usually take months to heal."

"He's going to need more morphine, isn't he?"

"Yes - quite soon, I'd imagine."

Sam turned around, anxiously raking a hand through his cropped black hair.

"What I mean is...will you come back? Check on him and stuff?"

"Are you sure? The injection is quite simple. I could teach-"

"No, it's okay. You can come back. Besides, you don't know exactly how much to give him, do you? So how am I to know?"

"Good point."

The conversation was clearly over, but a step had been taken towards closing the void between our kinds. The invitation settled in my heart, weighty but satisfying, and I strode towards the door feeling that something powerful and good had been achieved here today.

"Doctor Cullen?"

I stumbled at Sam's use of my name.

"Yes?" I turned to face him, his concerned black eyes glistening with a newfound respect.

"Thank you."

He nodded his head respectfully, and I was struck motionless for a moment by the memory of Ephraim Black, nodding his head once in respectful farewell after the signing of the treaty: the first step towards bridging the gap. Now, just as I had then, I nodded back and quietly took my leave.


	43. Forgiveness

**AN ~ Thanks for all my reviews last chap guys! They mean a lot to me :) Please continue to let me know what you think.**

**This chapter is a bit heavy, but (imho) sweet too. (btw a 'butterly kiss' is a kiss on the eyelid.) I think the title says it all, so I'll let you guys get on with it.**

**Disclaimer: Eclipse is not mine :(**

Chapter Forty Three: Forgiveness

Esme:

I tried to focus on my empty sketch pad, hoping to express my turbid emotions on its pages, but I just couldn't concentrate. The battle with the newborns and all that surrounded it seemed years ago, and yet we had no closure. If I could just see Carlisle walk through that door in his doctor's coat, smell that comforting butterscotch surrounded by stale blood and disinfectant and all those other hospital smells...maybe then, I could convince myself that it was a regular day. Maybe I could forget Bree, forget the way she cringed and whimpered, screamed and flailed, searched for help we could not grant her.

I heard the crunch of Carlisle's Mercedes rolling up the drive, and in an instant I was downstairs to meet him, just like I always was. He stepped through the door with a weary smile, white coat half-heartedly tugged over his battle clothes. There was no hospital smell to mingle with his soothing butterscotch scent: instead, it was clouded by mud and wolf and other vampires - and Bree.

I swallowed the urge to sob into Carlisle's neck as Edward towed Bella into the house. She looked so upset. Edward refused to show any particular emotion.

"Is Jacob all right?" I asked all three of them at once.

"He'll be fine," Edward insisted, glancing at Bella with concern but keeping his jaw clenched with bitterness.

"He's unconscious at the moment but his wounds will heal quickly - very quickly," Carlisle elaborated. "He should be back on his feet within the week, good as new."

He glanced at Bella hopefully. She caught his gaze and huffed irritably.

"Don't be like that, Bella." Alice pouted, dancing cheerfully down the stairs in a flouncy, fashionable outfit, having freed herself of her battle attire long ago. She grinned at Bella and took her hand. "Alibis are important - besides, Jacob's not going anywhere fast, I can tell you that now." She tapped her temple with her free hand. Bella laughed once. Alice smiled encouragingly and led her upstairs, closely followed by Edward, who retained his stony expression.

Once the three were out of sight, I turned to Carlisle and pulled the jacket from his shoulders.

"How did it go?" I asked.

"I'm alive, aren't I?" He smirked, and I laughed.

"I did have to re-break Jacob's fractures, which - I'm sure you can imagine - didn't appeal to Sam's better nature," he elaborated, grimacing for a moment before his gentle smile returned. "But I think, overall, it strengthened our alliance. They even invited me back."

"Well, at least some good came out of today, I suppose," I replied, trying to sound aloof as memories of Bree's terrified face haunted me again. I turned my back on Carlisle to hang up his jacket, and he gently turned me around to face him.

"Esme, sweetheart, we did what we could," he gently pointed out. "Fighting Jane would have been foolish - it would not have saved Bree, and we would have been severely punished for stepping out of line. Not to mention Bella knowing our secret, and the alliance with the wolves. They have infinite excuses to destroy us. I wish I could have put more in for Bree but honestly, I'm surprised the rest of us made it home from that visit."

"I understand, I guess," I agreed, letting the material slip through my fingers as Carlisle pried his jacket from my fingers. "But how could we let her die without _saying _anything? We're terrible parents! She was a child, Carlisle, and she died without anybody to love her! I-"

"You loved her," Carlisle interrupted quietly. I frowned, my brow creasing.

"What?"

"_You _loved her Esme. I took pity on her, and I may have actually said all the words, but right from the minute you saw her, she found salvation in your heart. She did not leave this world unloved, my dear. Of all the people I know, you take your heart the most for granted. Don't."

The last word was scarcely a breath. Carlisle gave me a fleeting butterfly kiss and then he was gone; upstairs, no doubt to his study. I crept up after him and slipped into the room to find him walking along his wall of paintings, slowly taking in each one as he made his way to the window.

He stood beside it, his skin sparkling and rippling like an ocean in the sun as he looked out over the forest with observant eyes that searched for nothing in particular. He slipped his hand into his pocket and retrieved his small golden crucifix, hanging limply from the chain he had broken when he had tossed it aside bitterly, feeling that he didn't deserve it. Now he handled the small golden symbol of his faith with as much care and tenderness as always. He lovingly removed it from the broken chain and held the pendant to his chest.

Carlisle and I shared very different beliefs on the existence and guidance of God, so I didn't often watch him pray. He had told me time and time again that he didn't mind, but I couldn't help but feel I was intruding on a private moment between him and his God. Today, though, I took a seat on the corner of Carlisle's desk, and silently observed.

Carlisle was beautiful when he prayed; a different sort of beautiful from his usual. Whenever I watched him, I was struck by this. It was something about the way he stood; serene and humble, his head bowed in reverence, in his own private world and yet, fully aware of anything and everything going on around him. It made him look like an angel; sometimes a sad angel, like today, but always with that endearing faith that both took and gave him strength and passion.

From this angle, I could just make out his lips moving subtly; a constant, indiscernible murmur emanating from them. He prayed with a reverence that sent a shiver down my spine. It reminded me of the way he spoke my name in our most intimate moments; something sacred, something for the intended ears only.

I felt a flush of that intruding feeling and stood up to leave, but when I reached the doorway, I heard a soft _thud. _I looked back to see that Carlisle had fallen to his knees, his shoulders shaking. Immediately, I wanted to go to him, but I was stopped in my tracks by the sound of his voice: still that smooth, reverent murmuring. It was more emotional now, more desperate, but still it was between him and God. My eyes stung with tears, watching him like that. I found myself hoping that God was being kind to him.

.o.o.o.

A long while later, Carlisle fell still. Soon after, his murmuring ceased. He placed his crucifix on a nearby shelf, which he then used to help himself stand up.

"Esme," Carlisle whispered, still not turning from the window.

"I didn't mean to intrude. I'm sorry," I apologised. "I was going to leave, but-"

"You don't need to leave. Actually, I was going to ask you to join me."

He waited while I walked to his side, a little surprised by his offer and still shocked from the powerful scene I had witnessed earlier. Carlisle put an arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. I rested my head against his shoulder and shut my eyes, soaking up the peace of the moment.

"You weren't intruding," Carlisle told me softly. "He and I just had a lot to discuss today. Forgive me if I frightened you. Things got a little...intense."

"I was concerned when you fell," I admitted. "Are you okay?"

He chuckled quietly. I straightened and opened my eyes, wondering what he could be finding funny in this situation.

"I appreciate your concern," he said gratefully, smiling shyly. "And yes, thank you, I'm quite well now that I have forgiveness from my two most highly respected sources."

"You be gentle with yourself now, okay?" I requested, pressing my head back against his chest. "Forgive yourself. Move on."

"I'm getting to that," he promised, stroking my hair methodically, peacefully; as even and enduring as a heartbeat. I shut my eyes again, relishing the power and delicacy of this moment. My mind lingered on an image of Carlisle praying, bathed in soft golden light: before his collapse, when he stood in that humbled yet powerful, angelic position and conversed with his Lord. It would make most exquisite artwork if I could get it right.

"Would you mind if I painted you?" I asked after a long, tranquil silence. I opened my eyes to see Carlisle's reaction: he looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I laughed, realising what it must have sounded like.

"No, no, not like that," I backtracked. "It's just that, when you pray, you look...angelic. That's the only way I can describe it. I'd so dearly love to capture that - or to at least try. But it's your choice; it's a private thing for you and I understand if-"

He put a finger to my lips, cutting me off.

"You know you are welcome to do whatever you like with my private moments," he reminded me. "I trust you to do me justice."

He smiled crookedly, his eyes glistening with joy and youth, and I laughed gently. His expression softened and he put one hand around the back of my head, drawing me into a deep, tender and passionate kiss. I knotted my fingers in his hair, holding him so that our foreheads touched even once our lips parted. He moved both his hands to the small of my back and pulled me in closer.

"I love you," he murmured against my lips, as if it were a great secret, meant for my ears only. "Oh, Esme."

The reverence in his voice made me shiver.


	44. Uninvited

**AN ~ ****Thanks everyone for your wonderful reviews! I love them, it's so good to know what people think of my story. Keep 'em coming guys I'm ever so grateful!**

**The next couple of chapters are sort of transition chapters between Eclipse and BD. ****To save any confusion, just in case: this one is between Bella getting shown her **_**Anne-of-Green-Gables **_**vision dress and Jake and Leah's "jump off a cliff, Leah" conversation. **

Chapter Forty Four: Uninvited

Carlisle:

In between work, shopping with Esme, trying on infinite tuxedos - which all fit me, but didn't fit Alice's agenda - and being told off by Alice for trying to take a look at Bella's dress, I frequented the Blacks' house over the next week. Billy was always there waiting, and opened the door for me every time, using a clever device which allowed him to open the door from a yard or two away, so that he wasn't in the path of whoever came in. I would have insisted it wasn't necessary but he seemed determined. I wouldn't have been surprised if he started laying roses at my feet and sacrificing lambs, the way he went on about it.

Despite his profuse and rather intense gratitude, we rarely talked: we were still natural enemies, after all. When we did converse it was mostly about Jake. Sometimes it would drift onto Bella, and then Edward, and then would abruptly come to a halt. This was one of those days. I excused myself before the atmosphere became too awkward, and slipped upstairs into Jacob's room. He groaned when he heard me coming.

"How are we this morning, Jake?" I asked cheerfully as I prepared the morphine injection.

"Good," he grunted. "Bit stoned though, eh?"

"Sorry about that," I replied. "I'm working with trial and error, mostly. You're a special patient, Jacob."

"One-oh-eight," he mumbled groggily. "That's me."

"It's best we wait for this one to fade off before I inject any more. This dose will only be 4 milligrams."

He chuckled drowsily.

"Oh, great...so I'll only be two thirds as spaced out?" His voice was still a little slurred, but much easier to understand. It was meant as a joke, but nevertheless, there were unmistakable signs of how much he hated to be here - under the care of a vampire, no less.

"At least your speech function has returned," I remarked.

"Small mercies." Jacob shrugged his good shoulder.

"While we're here, maybe I should check how the re-growth is coming along," I offered. "Would you mind sitting up?"

He moved to obey and muttered under his breath;

"Yes sir, whatever you say, Doctor Fang. I can't believe Sam caved. Bloody coward. Ow."

"I don't know if Sam would appreciate being a coward," I pointed out, pretending to ignore Jacob's previous comments as I gently prodded his ribs, testing their strength. They were fine; his skin was barely even bruised anymore. Amazing. "Without his asking for my help, you may well have been stuck in a wheelchair for a lot of long, painful years, Jacob."

"Sure I would've."

"It's true. I had to re-break all your bones when you were-"

"YOU _WHAT?"_

Jacob jumped out of bed, his tense muscles straining at the gauze that wrapped them. His jaw was clenched tight, his temples throbbing with fury as his heart pumped at double time, preparing for the change. I backed up against the wall, holding up my hands in surrender, hoping for the chance to explain myself.

"Please, Jacob, please understand I wouldn't have done it unless I had to," I pointed out. "Sam was as mad as anything. He might well have killed me. I understand you're angry too, but please hear me out. I'm really, really sorry but you were unconscious and your bones were healing so fast, so badly...I wish I could have asked for your permission, or at least told you what I was going to do, but there was no time, Jacob. Honestly."

He glared at me with cold, dark eyes, but his breathing slowed and his muscles relaxed a little.

"Sorry," he muttered. "You're tryin' and that's all I can ask, I guess. I shouldn't have gone off at you like that, Doc."

I straightened.

"You've been cooped up in here for too long, is all," I shrugged. "Really, you're doing fine. I can take off the dressings, if you'd like."

Jacob growled and sat back down, looking pained more than just physically as he offered his arm out.

"Why do you do that?" he asked as I tore the gauze away.

"Do what?" 

"I insult you, I ignore you, I grunt and groan and complain and then I jump out of bed and threaten to tear you into little glittery vampire bits, and you shrug it off like you give a damn about how _I _feel."

"I do 'give a damn,'" I replied. "Wolf or not, my patient's wellbeing means a lot to me, and I am offended that you think I pretend it."

"So _now _I offend you?" Jacob laughed. "I throw all the vampire-doctor insults at you the world has to offer, and you don't even flinch, but diss your compassion and there's a knife in your heart? Are you sure this doesn't have anything to do with that stunt Esme pulled back on the field? Feeling a little more heartless after leaving her unprotected like that?"

I gritted my teeth, tearing the piece of thick, medical-grade gauze in my hands as if it were rice paper.

"_That _is none of your business, _mongrel,_" I growled, forcing my hands down, still clasping a strip of gauze in each. Jacob seemed to realise he had crossed a line; his eyes became more solemn and his voice lost its mocking tone.

"I just mean that maybe your pride was a little wounded," he pointed out. "You vampire types are known for being psychotically possessive - like father, like son, right?"

"I grant you Edward is a little overprotective," I admitted, recovering control over my emotions and my tone. "And yes, so am I, but I'm trying to put that day behind me. There was more death and guilt than I care to remember. I have accepted it and I am moving on."

"And yet your eyes blaze fire whenever I mention it..."

"Jacob, please. This is harder for me than you think. I know you find it difficult to believe, but that battle was a very, very difficult thing for me to commit to. We had so many problems looming over our heads already - many of which remain - and I had a plan, but suddenly this army turns up, and the Volturi don't get involved until too late, and I'm well on the way to believing their intentions are not as innocent as they'd have us believe..."

"The who-what-i?" Jacob asked, confused.

"The Volturi," I repeated. "They're the leaders of the vampire world...the ones Bella had to rescue Edward from last year. They pride themselves on keeping the rules, but lately, it seems they're wandering from the path in order to secure their own power. To destroy us. I didn't want to believe it at first, but the evidence just keeps showing up."

I sighed. My hands released their tension on the strips of gauze. The room was silent but for Jacob's heartbeats. I began to remove the wrapping from Jacob's ribs, and after a long stretch of this near-silence, curiosity got the better of him.

"Why was it so hard?" he asked. "I mean, there are a lot of you aren't there? It's not normal for so many bloodsuckers to hang at the same crypt. And you've been there for a while; you should know the land by now. As for the actual fighting - surely you guys could handle a bunch of kids by yourselves. I mean, the Civil War one has some mad skills."

"Was that a compliment?" I asked, fighting a sly grin. I never thought I'd see the day.

"No," Jacob replied firmly. "But I give credit where credit is due."

He smiled a little in appreciation of Jaspers 'mad skills.' I shook my head.

"We're a large coven, yes, and a rather strange one, which keeps a lot of potential threats away," I told him, "but we're also a peaceful one. Even Victoria was bringing the army against us as a distraction, to help her get to Bella. We've never actually been at war. If it weren't for you wolves..." I shuddered at the thought. Jacob was confused.

"You wouldn't have let her get Bella would you? You wouldn't have left her unprotected?"

"Of course not. Never. Every last one of us would die first. For a while there, that was a frightful possibility. We'd have had the upper hand in skill, but they outnumbered us more than two-to-one. The skill balance was not enough to offset that."

"Oh..."

"I called some friends of mine - close friends, very close - but they refused to help because of what happened with Laurent while we were away."

"Laurent? French Columbian dude with the dreads?" 

"Yes. One of them was his mate. I didn't know that at the time. She wanted revenge on the pack - they said they'd help us in return for our permission."

Jacob gasped.

"I said no," I assured him. "But of course we were left without help, and going on Jasper's estimation, we'd win the battle but lose some fighters. We had to go through with it, of course - what choice did we have?"

"Man...that sucks. No pun intended."

"When you offered your help, it was like a miracle. For all I know, I'm sitting here today because of you, Jacob. You may have saved anyone and everyone in my family that day. So...thank you."

Jacob's expression hardened suddenly, and I felt like someone had slammed a door in my face.

"Don't mention it," he muttered bitterly, flopping onto his good side and making a point of putting his back to me. He crossed his arms, shutting me out.

"If you prefer."

I shuffled around in my bag for some disinfectant; if I was going to leave the scars uncovered, they had to be cleaned. Jacob understood this and reluctantly held his arms away from himself - still crossed - as I worked. He twitched as the cold, damp rag touched his raw, healing skin, but said nothing. I worked quickly, and soon his scars were clean. I glanced at the pair of crutches leaning against the bed-side table.

"You'll have to-"

"Yeah. Props. I know. Thanks, Doctor Fang. You can go now." Jacob abruptly pressed his arms against his chest the moment I pulled my hand away. "Don't worry about the morphine."

I frowned, unsettled by the uncertainty in Jacob's voice. He sounded hurt and tired, like something heavy weighed on his conscience, but I didn't want to intrude. If he wanted someone to talk to, it wouldn't be a leech. I packed away my things in silence, and headed for the door without debate.

"You don't have to come back tomorrow," Jacob called after me. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."


	45. The Old Drawing Board

**AN ~ phew I finally managed to fit some good humour in this chapter! just a bit though. Reviews are good I love you guys, I'm sorry updates are slowing down but the school year is starting again soon and I'm thinking of another ffic (Twilight/Doctor Who!) which I have to write to make sure it works b4 I start posting XD **

**Disclaimer: Eclipse is not mine, and yes, I got the frying pan idea from the Rapunzel-ish movie 'Tangled' ("Frying pans - who knew, right?" LOL)**

Chapter Forty Five: The Old Drawing Board

Esme:

Carlisle came home from the Blacks' with a tight smile.

"Bella will be happy. Jacob's coming along well," he explained as I slipped his jacket off his shoulders. "He made it very clear he didn't want me back tomorrow."

"That's good to hear," I said with a smile. "The laundry will smell so much more inviting."

I kissed his cheek as I pulled the tie off his neck.

"EMMETT!" Alice shrieked from upstairs. "Step away from the door. Don't even think about it. Nobody sees the dress."

"Who gave Alice the frying pan?" Emmett shouted, flying down the stairs to escape the wrath of his little sister, who shot after him fiercely wielding her weapon of choice. Carlisle chuckled and shook his head pitifully as I took his bag.

"Hey Carlisle," Alice greeted with a nod as she darted back up the stairs to resume her post: guarding Bella's wedding dress and waiting for an order confirmation from the designer she had picked to create her bridesmaid dress.

"All is going well with Alice's dress then?" Carlisle guessed, pretending to block his ears against the loud, high-pitched squeal that announced the arrival of the confirmation email.

"Apparently," I nodded, hanging Carlisle's jacket and tie on their hooks by the door. "And all the invitations are written out, too. Poor Bella was exhausted when she left for work."

Carlisle laughed and gently pressed his lips to mine, taking my hands in his and holding them together in the smooth space between us. His fingers trembled.

"You're still worried," I breathed. It wasn't a guess; I had been around him long enough to know.

"RAWR!" Alice screeched, beating someone - Jasper, I imagined - with her frying pan. "What part of _DO NOT OPEN _do you lot not understand?"

"Alice, huh?" Carlisle laughed again and tried to slip his hands away. I held onto them and locked my eyes onto his.

"Carlisle," I demanded. "What are you worried about? Jacob? Bella?" 

"It's the Volturi," he admitted quietly.

"Oh."

"I was thinking about it today while I was treating Jake," he elaborated. "I want to believe that Aro is the same strange, curious man that he once was, but I don't. I believe Edward and the others; I cannot deny it any longer. We have much for Aro to be envious of. I should have seen it coming long ago."

At that moment, we were interrupted by three swift knocks on the stairway banister. We both looked to the sound, and found Edward and Jasper standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Sorry to interrupt," Jasper said, looking every bit like the experienced, respected military advisor he was, "but I think we all need to talk. This complication with the Volturi is getting dangerously out of hand."

.o.o.o.

"After the battle, when I was picking Jane's head for reasons why they didn't turn up earlier, she let slip that, after we came back from Volterra, Aro charged her with 'monitoring' this family," Edward explained. I gasped.

"So they know about the werewolves?"

"No, I don't think so. They are aware of the wolves' presence in the area, and they are aware that we are the only vampires with whom they are remotely civil, but they don't know the extent of our alliance, as far as I could tell."

I breathed a sigh of relief. The wolves didn't need to get caught up in this mess after all.

"Don't get your hopes up, Esme," Jasper warned as he tightened his arm around Alice instinctively. "The wolves may be home safe but we're still in danger. If Jane is smart - which she probably is - she and her assigned soldiers will have been watching our every move: especially Carlisle and, I wouldn't doubt, Edward, Alice and myself. Jane's power is built on others fearing her, and her devotion to her master. If Aro wants Edward and Alice, that's what Aro gets, as far as Jane is concerned."

"Well he's not getting them without a fight!" Emmett put in. "If they think they can step aside and let us get attacked by an army of newborns, that's fine with me, we'll show them who's boss. But if they think they can waltz in here and hand-pick us like fruit, they've got another think comin'."

"Emmett, cool it, will you?" Rosalie snapped. "I'd suggest ditching the girl, moving away and thus freeing ourselves of all this crap, but we've been there before and it didn't work. Taking that into account, I suggest we confront Aro about all this and see what he says. He's a puppeteer, like the Wizard of Oz: if we uncover his ulterior motives, he won't be nearly as confident to try and bring us down."

Alice's eyes went blank for a moment, and suddenly her fingers dug into Jasper's shirt.

"No, no," she shook her head, coming out of the vision. "We absolutely must not do that. I agree with your reasoning, Rose, but it would be far too dangerous. Having the entire guard nearby would be suicide - even with the Denalis _and _the wolves, they'd wipe us out in seconds."

"Wait, wait," Carlisle held up his hands. "Nobody has made a move against us yet. Confronting Aro will be too dangerous, anyway, and we have plenty to deal with on the home front. I think, before we rush off to deal with the Volturi - who, by the way, have the entire vampire world to run - we should deal with our domestic issues."

"I agree," I put in. "_If_ the Volturi do act against us in the future, we'll need all the allies we can get. The wolves could be valuable ones. It would be foolish to lose them over Bella's change if we can help it...and if we can't, we still need to make sure Bella is as safe as the rest of us."

"Valuable allies?" Rosalie drawled, raising an eyebrow cynically. "Puh-leeze, Esme. They were only helping us to save Bella, the fragile little human. The second she becomes one of us, those fickle mongrels are going to go right back to hating us. Just the way it should be."

"Actually, Rose," Carlisle spoke up, "there may be a way to handle this without too much animosity between us at all."

"I'm listening," Jasper declared.

"You're crazy," Edward muttered.

"One werewolf in particular is the key, actually - Jacob Black."

"Jacob?" I frowned, recalling the juvenile, rusty-coated wolf who had given Bella a huge, childish lick at training. He and Edward had enough animosity between them to start a forest fire. What could Carlisle _possibly _be planning? 

"Like Rose said," Carlisle continued, "the main reason the wolves helped us was to help Bella. If you may recall, it was Jacob Black who made the offer in the first place."

"Yeah," Rose said after a moment. "So what?" 

"_So, _he got the entire wolf pack to meet with the world's second largest, second-most-powerful coven of vampires because _he asked them to."_

Jasper nodded slowly, thoughtfully.

"So the pack obeys him sometimes," Emmett shrugged. "You guys obey me sometimes. I could say 'hey, let's go to Africa and hunt cheetahs for a week' and off we go. That doesn't mean you'd all go kill werewolves for a week if I said it sounded like fun. The treaty is a powerful force. Nobody messes with it except Carlisle and Sam. That's what the treaty says, and you don't mess with it, man."

"Ah, you see, that's where you're wrong," Carlisle objected. "The treaty doesn't specifically name myself or Sam Uley. In fact, Sam wasn't born until many decades after the document was signed."

"Who does it name, then?" Edward frowned. Slowly, his eyes widened. He looked at Carlisle incredulously. "Really?"

Emmett cleared his throat loudly.

"The treaty only refers to the leader of the coven and the Alpha of the pack," Carlisle explained for the rest of us. "I didn't know how big our coven might be in the future, but I wanted to make sure that, if say half of us returned to the area, someone could claim leadership for the treaty purposes."

"You were going to abdicate!" Edward cried, jumping out of his seat accusingly. "Don't deny it."

"I was considering it," Carlisle admitted. "Your ability and...uh...lack of emotional attachment at the time meant that you would be a better leader than I was."

"Lack of emotional attachment?" Jasper interrogated. Carlisle shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"Edward was the only one of us without a mate at the time. His focus would be more easily generalised to concern the whole family rather than a single entity."

Everyone - including me - stared at him in shock. He sighed.

"Look, I was never expecting this to come up again. It was badly thought through and-"

"'Badly thought through'? You were going to hand leadership over to _him?" _Rosalie snorted, pointing at her brother in disbelief.

"Calm down, everyone. I wasn't _going to_ do anything. I was merely keeping the possibility open. It doesn't matter now anyway - can we please focus on the mission at hand?"

"Sorry," Edward said. "Continue. The treaty only refers to the leader of the Cullens and the Alpha of the pack..."

"Which is Sam," Emmett put in.

"At the moment, yes, but officially, no," Carlisle explained. "Ephraim Black was the Alpha when the treaty was signed, and the position is hereditary. Jacob Black is the rightful Alpha."

"Oooh, the plot thickens," Emmett grinned. "Looks like you've got competition in high places, lover boy." He winked at Edward.

"There's no competition," Edward muttered, far more serious than he was letting on. I eyed them both before Emmett could formulate a comeback, and cleared my throat loudly, suggesting that they kindly return their attention to their father.

"I propose that we merely install Jacob Black into his rightful position," Carlisle announced. "He cares about Bella more than he detests us: when he's the Alpha, we can convince him that Bella's only two options are changing or death - it's true, Edward - and he'll _have _to let us change her because he couldn't live with the knowledge that she was dead when he could have prevented it. No blood, no war, nobody dies. We could quite happily visit the Volturi, present the new Mrs Cullen, and then leave and they have no reason to come after us."

"Except the werewolves," Jasper grumbled.

"They make no business with werewolves. They won't get involved. In fact, I think Jane will be sleeping soundly with the knowledge that we have a pack of large, resentful predators nearby to tear us apart if we mess up," Edward grinned.

"Jacob Black solves the treaty problem. Bella's change solves the secret problem. The Volturi's prejudices solve the werewolf problem. That relieves a lot of the pressure. You learn well, grasshopper," Jasper praised, bowing in Carlisle's direction like a Sensei master.

The phone rung in the kitchen, and Rosalie disappeared to answer it.

"Yes, this is the Cullens," she said. "Wow, really? I mean, uh...sure you can talk to him. Just a second."

She stuck her head into the living room, her expression distinctly victorious.

"Carlisle - you might want to start thinking of a Plan B right about now," she suggested. "Jacob Black is missing."


	46. There Is A Time

**AN ~ There is much more humour in this chap (I figure we need some before the heavy BD stuff) so enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer: ****The timing with Renee is a bit off, so sorry if this bothers you. And as I'm sure you all know by now, neither Eclipse nor Breaking Dawn are mine. Carlisle also quotes Ecclesiastes (also not mine). **

Chapter Forty Six: There is a Time

Carlisle:

"_What did you do?" _Billy demanded, his voice strained with rage and tears. "_What did you say to him, Cullen? Where's my boy?"  
_

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about," I replied carefully.

_"Don't play innocent with me," _Billy growled. _"The invitation. The letter. What did you say?"_

"I didn't send an invitation," I fought to keep the surprise out of my tone as I looked around at the shocked, confused faces of my family to see if any of them knew what was going on here. I held the phone away from my mouth, a hand over the mouthpiece, and hissed at Alice;

"When did you write those?"

"Just this morning. Jake wasn't invited - I wrote one for him, but Bella made me throw it out. No werewolves, she insisted," Alice explained, just as surprised as I was.

"And you asked _me _to throw it out," Edward murmured. "I sent it."

_"I'm still talking to you!" _Billy roared.

"Of course," I replied, hurriedly returning the mouthpiece to my lips for a moment. "Just discussing the matter. One moment please."

"Your call is important to us," Rosalie teased in a nasal voice, mimicking the automated machine. "You have EIGHT calls ahead of you. Please stay on the line."

"Rose!" Esme scolded.

"More importantly - _Edward!"_ Alice snapped. "How could you?"

"I'm _sorry," _Edward groaned, raking a hand through his hair. "I just think he should have the choice. I wrote a separate note to explain myself."

Emmett snorted.

"What'd ya write? _Dear Mutt: sorry I stole your girlfriend - here, come watch us become joined in holy matrimony for ever and ever. Love, Edward. Aka Captain Sparkly._"

"No," Edward muttered. "I thanked him."

"I think it was sweet of you, honey," Esme soothed.

"Doesn't solve the problem that _he's gone," _Jasper pointed out. He clenched his jaw, his expression twisting slightly.

"Here comes Bella," he announced. "I think she knows."

.o.o.o.

Rosalie and Emmett took their leave as Bella came crashing through the door and threw her arms around the nearest person's neck. Alice's.

"He's gone, he's gone, Alice," she whimpered. "It's my fault. I hurt him so badly..."

"It's not your fault," Alice objected gently, patting her sister on the back assuringly. "Your empty-headed-" she paused and glanced at Edward before prying Bella away to hold her at arms' length. "Your empty-headed sister forgot to throw out the invitation. I'm sorry, Bella. Are you mad?"

She pouted innocently and Bella shook her head, wiping the tears away.

"No, I'm not mad," she replied. "I just wish he was here. I hate knowing how much all this hurts him."

"You can cancel at any time," Edward reminded her. "No questions asked."

"No, I'm fine. I still want to do this." Bella smiled earnestly, despite the tears still twinkling in her eyes. She secured the ring's position on her finger to illustrate her point. I involuntarily smiled too at the sight of it, and Esme sighed dreamily.

"You owe Alice _big," _Jasper muttered with a sly half-smile. Edward nodded gratefully at his sister as Bella retreated. Bella looked at the doorway, where a few pebbles and grains of plaster decorated the floor.

"Sorry," she squeaked, blushing at Esme, already moving towards the pantry.

"Don't worry about it," Esme replied, beating Bella to the pantry and pulling out the brush and pan. "We do it all the time."

"Uh, Carlisle?" Bella pointed at the handset I was holding. "Is someone on the line?"

"Right...excuse me." I held the phone up to my ear, to find that Billy had calmed down somewhat.

_"Look here, Cullen," _he spat. "_Jake's gone wolf, so - lucky for you - I can't call this in to the police. Yet. I'll find a way if I have to. I suggest you deal with whatever you're dealing with and get out of here as soon as possible. Jake will come back when he's ready - maybe he'll sort it out, maybe he'll want revenge. Either way, I want you lot out of here."_

"I understand perfectly," I agreed. "I can assure you, we'll be gone as soon as we can."

_"I can assure you, you'll regret it if you're not. We're moni__toring Bella's situation very closely. Step carefully."_

Billy hung up, and I followed. Everyone in the room was staring at me.

"Jacob has phased and run off to sort out some emotional issues," I explained. "Billy can't call it in to the station, so we have some time to get this sorted out."

"But first, we've got to go pick up Mum from the airport," Bella put in. "Geez, cheer up guys! We're planning a wedding here!"

"Exactly!" Alice agreed, clapping her hands enthusiastically. "That's the spirit, Bella! Oh, by the way, Esme and I found this _amazing _little store the other day..."

Bella groaned in mock agony as Alice prattled on about the home wares store that she and Esme had raided while I was at Billy's. The worry that had clouded the cheerful mood of the day so far lifted, and we were all smiling again - even Jasper, though his was still a little tight, restrained, just in case.

"All right, Bella, let's go," Esme invited with a warm chuckle. She took one of Bella's wrists and pulled her outside, and Alice followed like a puppy, still talking. How she manages to fit so much air into those little lungs of hers, I have no idea.

.o.o.o.

"So, Carlisle, what do we do?" Edward asked once the shopping party was outside.

"I would suggest finding a tuxedo, but Alice has probably already done that," I shrugged. "Maybe we should try and find a company to hire all those chairs from...what?" 

I trailed off, amused by the stricken look on Edward's face. He was staring at me like I was crazy. Rose and Emmett mimicked him. Jasper smirked.

"Well, you heard the man," he announced, clapping his hands together. "Get to it! Step lively!"

"Uh...don't we have more serious things to work out?" Emmett reminded us.

"Not right now." I shook my head. "Bella's right - we're planning a wedding! _Everything on earth has its special season. There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad and a time to dance. There is a time to love and a time to hate. There is a time for war and a time for peace. _Bella and Edward's wedding is rapidly approaching. Right now, we all deserve a break. It's time to laugh and dance and enjoy ourselves."

"Here here," Jasper nodded.

"Here here!" Rosalie cheered, a smile breaking out on her face.

"Here here," Emmett agreed. "Hmm what is _that? _It sounds like a special delivery! Wheels for the lovely lady?" He glanced at Edward, who grinned smugly. 

The three of them bolted for the garage simultaneously, and I noticed the source of their curiosity: a large truck rolling up the drive. Like toddlers on Christmas morning, the three of them excitedly elbowed each other and whispered about how great it was going to be. If there was one way to diffuse a tense situation between Rose, Emmett and Edward - or any combination thereof - it was to dump a fast, powerful, sleek vehicle between them.

I was never as taken by the flashy cars as Rose, Emmett or Edward, but auto mechanics were fascinating. I hovered in the driveway and listened to the others dote over the new arrival.

"_Four thousand pounds _of body armour?" Emmett cried. "Geez, what do you think she'll be doing - driving through a mine field?"

"Don't answer that," Rose cut in before Edward could get a word out. She was leaning towards the driver's window, almost pressing her nose to the glass. "What grade is this?" 

"Essentially missile-proof," Edward replied smugly, backing towards the doorway, where I was standing. To himself, he added:

"This will be a much more useful vehicle than that rust-bucket old Chevy of hers..."

"What happened to that, by the way?" I asked. "I haven't heard it around lately." _Which is saying something, since one can usually hear it from a few miles away. _Edward turned around to face me, chuckling.

"It's about to wheeze its last wheeze," he replied, holding his hand over his heart in mock solemnity. "I promised Bella I would find a suitable replacement."

.o.o.o.

Esme:

"We're ba-ack!" Alice announced in a sing-song voice as she somehow managed to open the door with shopping bags in both hands and even one carefully hanging from her mouth.

Renee gasped as she came through the door, looking around herself in awe.

"It's no wonder you are so adept at wedding planning," she praised as I walked in. "Your house is amazing."

"Thank you," I smiled proudly, thrilled as always that visitors approved. It was so rare we got them. I set four of my bags down on the kitchen bench, and put the others on the floor. Renee looked around for a place to leave hers.

"Just search for a flat surface," I instructed. She headed towards the dining table, which was covered at one end with craft items from making the invitations and at the other end by Alice's bags. Renee was just about to settle her bags amongst Alice's when she gasped quietly and covered her mouth. Her heart doubled its speed.

"Good evening, Mrs Dwyer," Carlisle greeted, coming down the stairs with a modest but dazzling smile.

"Doctor Cullen," Renee greeted, sounding flustered as she hurried to pull herself together. I smiled slyly. I couldn't help it.

"Please, call me Carlisle," he invited.

"Renee," she replied. The two of them shook hands, and while Renee's heartbeat had barely slowed since the initial meeting, she managed to act composed. There was a loud crash from the garage, and Carlisle quickly excused himself to investigate.

"Now I see where Edward gets it from," Renee muttered. I took this opportunity to join her in the dining room. She flushed with embarrassment.

"Don't worry," I brushed it off, laughing warmly. "Everyone does it. Now, let's see if we can't find you a room."


	47. Preparation

**AN ~ Officially into BD now! A longer-than-usual chap but hopefully a good one even though it's not fluffy (don't worry, this is not the end of the fluff!) Thanks everyone for your reviews XD More are always welcome. I know I have lots of lurkers so come on, guys, drop me a line!  
**

**Disclaimer: Breaking Dawn is not mine, nor is the line "It'll all work out, somehow" (Twilight deleted scene: 'she's brought him to life')**

Chapter Forty Seven: Preparation

Carlisle:

For the next few weeks, the whole house radiated happiness and nerves; a hive, buzzing with excitement. The only black mark – getting darker and more permanent as the wedding date drew nearer – was that Jacob Black was still missing. With him rested our simplest and cleanest solution, and of course Bella's freedom to see her pack friends again.

Edward would not allow Bella onto their lands now that Jacob was not around to protect her. She had rarely asked his permission before, but without Jacob's presence she had lost her largest motivation and even some of her welcome. Every minute Jacob spent away, Bella lost another chance to see her friends from across the treaty line: once she became one of us, her friendships with the wolves would be over. Ties cut. She would no longer be the Bella they knew; she would be one of _us, _and we were as unwelcome on Quileute lands as ever.

Her ties with the wolf pack were not the only ones Bella would have to sever with her upcoming change. For their own safety, her mother, father and human friends had to be kept out of it. It was a lot to lose, but Bella was determined. Impressively, her commitment did not waver even at the gruesome cautionary tales she had to hear about our kind. In fact, I was surprised at her resilience. The dizzy, fragile girl I had treated in the ER after Edward saved her from a wayward van was long gone. The new, tough, matured Bella stayed late night after night to manage both sides of her preparation: for the wedding, and for the change.

"Edward, was it _really _necessary?" I heard Bella ask him once as they walked up to his room, where a bed was awaiting her very tired body.

"Not for the first time - yes, it was," he replied calmly. "And don't worry. I assure you, nothing went on between Tanya and myself. I will assure you of that every day from now until the end of time. Will you trust me on this one?"

"Yes, I trust you, of course I trust you but..." she swallowed uncomfortably. "The Denalis in the same state as the Quileutes seems like a bad idea, let alone on the same property, or in the same room. Isn't it dangerous?"

"A little tense, maybe, but dangerous? No. It wouldn't be happening if it was dangerous, trust me," Edward assured her. "Besides, Irina's the one with the vendetta, and she's not coming. The others feel bad for leaving us to fight alone. They won't cause any trouble."

Bella huffed insecurely.

"We're the closest thing they have to family, Bella," Edward had pointed out. "They still feel like orphans, you know, even after all this time."

"Okay, okay," Bella mumbled. "Maybe it won't be so bad."

"Thank you," Edward breathed. He kissed her gently and the room fell silent, but for Bella's heart and both their steady breathing. Once Bella had settled into slumber, Edward came to me.

"Have you told her about Immortal Children?" he asked in a low voice. I frowned.

_No. But it is an ancient practice, long since wiped out. Surely she does not need to know of it right now? There is a lot of pressure on Bella at the moment and I don't think we should be making this transition any more traumatic than it already is._

"Tell her."

_Are you sure you're not still trying to scare her away?_

"She needs to know."

.o.o.o.

The next night, the topic of our discussion was just that: Tanya and her sisters, and the incident that had shattered their lives even more drastically than first being changed. The story of the Immortal Children – and the breach of one of the vampire world's most absolute laws, which had led to the death of their mother and creator many years before I was even born.

"Bella," I warned, "this is a terrible story. Are you sure you don't want to hear it tomorrow?" It was pitch black outside, and raining; it was quite an eerie night, and the last thing Bella needed was even more loss of sleep. And yes, I admit, I was still a little hesitant about telling the story at all.

"No, it's okay," she replied. "We've already been through newborn armies, succubuses, collateral damage, and a whole bunch of other things that would make any mere mortal vomit." She laughed half-heartedly, trying to make a joke of it.

"If you're sure," I sighed, pulling up a chair. Bella settled into the comforter. Hopefully she would fall asleep before I reached the end of the story: she looked about ready to. In her hands were a chocolate bar and a packet of tissues.

"Comfort food, check. Tissues, check. Alright, bring it on." Bella smiled uncertainly at me. I shut my eyes for a long moment, recalling Tanya's heartbroken expression as she recounted her mother's final chapter to me.

"_Please understand that we don't like to talk about this," _she had said. _"I must ask you to refrain from asking questions, Carlisle. Curiosity is not a crime, but...it can be painful."_

_"I understand. I will respect your wishes," _I had vowed, taking one of her hands gently in mine, trying to comfort her despite my confusion.

_"Young Carlisle," _she had sighed, surprising me with the use of a title she only used when speaking to me as a mentor. She had shaken her head gently before resting her cheek against my shoulder. _"You bear so much weight for what has been done to you, and you bear it well. My sisters and I also carry a burden. We will carry it for the rest of our lives, and into the next, if there is one, I should imagine. It is a story of love and betrayal, and three sisters and their mother and a child they never knew..."_

"I don't know Tanya's mother's name," I explained to Bella. "They never speak of her if they can avoid it, never think of her willingly. The woman who created Tanya, Kate and Irina – who loved them, I believe – lived many years before I was born, during a time of plague in our world: the plague of the Immortal Children. What they were thinking, those ancient ones, I can't begin to understand. They created vampires out of humans who were barely more than infants."

Bella grimaced and swallowed hard, and I realised she was probably imagining some grotesque creatures from a horror movie.

"They were very beautiful," I hurried to explain. "So endearing, so enchanting, you can't imagine. You had but to be near them to love them; it was an automatic thing.

"However, they could not be taught. They were frozen at whatever level of development they'd achieved before being bitten. Adorable two-year-olds with dimples and lisps that could destroy half a village in one of their tantrums. If they hungered, they fed, and no words of warning could restrain them. Humans saw them, stories circulated, fear spread like fire in dry brush…"

I shuddered lightly, watching the Great Fire of London devour the city and wondering, like I had done a hundred times before, how many villages had met the same terrible fate to stop the stories spreading. How many lives had to be destroyed to keep a secret? As much as I hated to admit it, wouldn't it be better to just destroy the children, stop the practice and let the whole mess fade into the history books?

Yet, nobody had the heart to destroy the children. They were protected and by everyone who set eyes on them, nearly impossible to turn down, certainly impossible to escape. They were the perfect predators.

"Tanya's mother created such a child," I went on. "As with the other ancients, I cannot fathom her reasons."

I paused to take a deep, steadying breath, trying to push away the image of little Olivia, one of two children that had been staying at Volterra when I arrived. Everyone adored her blonde hair and dimples and luminescent eyes, even though those eyes never got darker than bright scarlet. In my head, Olivia grinned at me and laughed, the sound distorted in Volterra's halls. She ran off down the hallway, and her brother Lucas and I chased her, laughing merrily.

"The Volturi became involved, of course," I forced myself onward. "The Volturi studied the Immortal Children, at home in Volterra and all around the world. Caius decided the young ones were incapable of protecting our secret, and so they had to be destroyed."

The Volturi had not always been hospitable about Immortal Children as they had been with Olivia and Lucas - in fact, they had made it painstakingly clear to me that they had come down with an iron fist on any of the creators or defenders of the children. In a library deep under Volterra there is a collection of books documenting lists of vampires and notes on each; one volume per year. Over the centuries, especially in the 6th and 7th, the midst of the era commonly called the Dark Ages, many names had been marked _sradicare, bambino-peste: _eradicated, plague child. Right up until the 1700s, offenders were still being tracked down. I had read those documents, and very few of them seemed the radical type, the type to try such a risky process. Some of them, in fact, I had lived with for years before coming to live with the Volturi. I recalled how much Sulpicia and Athenodora begged their mates to let Olivia and Lucas live: had they not been Caius and Aro's mates, I didn't doubt they would have joined the hundreds of names stricken from the Volturi's records in the fights over other Immortal Children.

"I told you they were lovable," I continued. "Well, covens fought to the last man – were utterly decimated – to protect them. The carnage was not as widespread as the southern wars on this continent, but more devastating in its own way. Long-established covens, old traditions, friends...In the end, the practice was completely eliminated. The Immortal Children became unmentionable, a taboo. When I lived with the Volturi, I met two Immortal Children, so I know first-hand the appeal they had. Aro studied the little ones for many years after the catastrophe they'd caused was over. You know his inquisitive disposition; he was hopeful they could be tamed. But in the end, the decision was unanimous: the Immortal Children could not be allowed to exist."

That day had been a sad one for all of us, even Caius, who was somewhat more hot-blooded than his brothers and, in the end, was the one to destroy the children. I had never asked, but I didn't doubt it was Caius who had destroyed Tanya's mother and her child.

"It is unclear precisely what happened with Tanya's mother," I explained to Bella, fighting to keep the sadness out of my voice, and failing. "Tanya, Kate and Irina were entirely oblivious until the day the Volturi came for them, their mother and her illegal creation already their prisoners. It was their ignorance that saved Tanya's and her sisters' lives. Aro touched them and saw their total innocence, so they were not punished with their mother."

I blinked to rid my eyes of the tears that should have been building up. A few slipped down Bella's ghostly white cheeks but she didn't wipe them away.

"None of them had ever seen the boy before, or dreamed of his existence," I went on softly. "Until the day they watched him burn in their mother's arms. I can only guess that their mother had kept her secret to protect them from this exact outcome.

Even with Aro's perfect assurance that Tanya, Kate and Irina were innocent, Caius wanted them to burn. Guilty by association. They were lucky that Aro felt like being merciful that day. Tanya and her sisters were pardoned, but left with unhealing hearts and a very healthy respect for the law. Even now, their mother's death leaves an emptiness inside each of them, but they feel angry with her for not having told them, for getting herself killed without even telling them why..."

Bella was sinking into the chair now, almost completely asleep though she was still sickly pale with horror, salty tears drawing tracks down her cheeks. Almost immediately, Esme arrived with a soft smile and a blanket. She carefully scooped the sleeping Bella into her arms and carried her out to the lounge.

"'M not asleep," Bella groaned as Esme lay her on the lounge and lovingly rearranged the blanket.

"Edward is out with his brothers. He will take you home later," Esme promised. "You should get some sleep, sweetie, you're exhausted."

Bella mumbled half-hearted resistance but soon was sleeping comfortably. Esme quietly moved to my side and took my hand.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly as we watched Bella's lips moving silently, her chest moving up and down with numbered breaths.

"I just hope she's ready," I sighed, squeezing Esme's hand.

"They love each other - that has overcome every obstacle so far and it will overcome this one," Esme assured me. "It will all work out, somehow." She smiled encouragingly and leaned into me.

"Ahem," Alice appeared next to us and pretended to clear her throat. "We have guests."

With that, she was gone. Esme smiled innocently up at me and both of us laughed.


	48. Birds Bees and Butterflies

**AN ~ this chapter is quite fluffy...awww...but it's at the higher end of the T rating. Reviews are very much loved and welcome! The Wedding is coming up v soon!**

**Disclaimer: Breaking Dawn is not mine...although, I spent the whole book narrowing down who was going to die (or almost die) at the end. It was totally setting up a death! Did anyone else get that? I mean with lines like "I tried to visualise the Cullen family without their creator, their center and their guide - their father, Carlisle. I couldn't see it." and characters like Stephan and Vladimir...anyone?**

Chapter Forty Eight: Birds, Bees and Butterflies

Carlisle:

I was reading in my office late one night when Edward quietly knocked on my door and walked in, looking nervous and quite embarrassed.

_What is it, Edward? _I inquired.

"It's hard to explain…" he started. "Well, actually, it's not really, but it just feels kind of strange to be coming…to you…about…_this." _He forced himself to take deep, soothing breaths.

"Start at the beginning, Edward."

"The beginning? Um…okay…well, when I made that deal with Bella – about marriage and transformation - she agreed but, uh, she put a…condition on it."

"Oh." I managed a slow nod, realising why Edward looked so frightened. "While she's human?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Well…you shouldn't hurt her, so long as you're careful."

"Hurt her?" Edward repeated bleakly.

"Physical love is not something to be taken lightly, Edward. For one thing, for me at least, it is eternally sacred, and for another – in your case – Bella will be the weaker party. You have the control level to be safe about it, I have faith in that, but you need to be…prepared."

_A dimly lit room, smelling of candles and roses and so much more...Esme quivered as I ran a finger along the neckline of her __delicate shift, making the flimsy material dance around her curves. Her fingers tightened their grip on the blankets either side of us. And to think I had thought we wouldn't need a bed..._

"Carlisle…Bella's not indestructible," Edward reminded me.

"Neither was Esme, really…physically, sure, but Charles left mental scars on her that were only beginning to heal. I wasn't worried for myself, though Esme was still quite new so neither of us knew how she'd react," I explained, forcing myself to look straight at Edward. "I was worried I would hurt her. She put a lot of trust in me that night…more than I deserved. She trembled the first time I touched her like that, but she didn't ask me to stop. So I didn't."

_A low growl rumbled in my throat as I tore Esme's torturously thin nightgown away with one swift tug. She jumped as the rush of air stung her desirous senses. Still she opened her mouth to mine when I pressed my lips to hers._

For a moment, Edward looked shocked: I always treated Esme with upmost respect. It was so bizarrely out of character for me to act on my own impulsive desires, especially when doing so could potentially have torn her healing heart to pieces.

I smiled ruefully, almost hearing these thoughts in his head.

"Physical desire is an overwhelming thing," I explained. "People say love is the most powerful emotion, but they're wrong: it is the strongest, certainly, and in my opinion the most valuable, but lust is infinitely more powerful. Lust can drive a person to madness, to murder, in a much shorter time span than real love. In all my years I have never felt anything like it. If you let it, it can change you in permanent ways…but you don't need to worry about that part; Bella has already brought you profound change."

I smiled happily now, the seriousness of the topic seeming to wash away when the crease of concern disappeared from between Edward's eyes, replaced with the quiet joy that Bella gives him.

"That. That sparkle in your eye when you think about her; that is your change, Edward. Every time you look at her, for the rest of your life, this is how you'll feel. Esme and I have been waiting for this, ever since we discovered each other. You deserve it, son."

"But what if I get carried away?" Edward asked, the crease returning.

_With a surge of desire or bravery, maybe both - I was in no state to tell - Esme pried her fingers loose from the blankets at last. She knotted the fingers of one hand into my hair and, with the other, tore my shirt away from my body. All this without once removing her lips from mine. __She made short work of the rest of my clothing too, and it was safe to say that control of the situation was back in balance._

"You won't, if you listen to Bella. That's my advice: listen to her, stop when she asks. Esme told me that it was easier for her because I let her keep up with me. I listened, I worked around her. She says what Charles did to her and what I did _with _her were completely different acts…entirely separate entities. Because I didn't just want her, I _desired _her and I _loved _her, and that, she says, makes all the difference. That is the most important thing: focus on how much you love Bella, and the physicalities will work themselves out. Trust me."

_"If you want me to stop-" I tried to offer as Esme pulled me over her._

_"Shh." It was somewhere between a murmur and a snarl. "Love me, Carlisle..."_

"God, do you mind?" Edward shut his eyes. I began to sing _La Marseillaise _very loudly in my head, hopefully blocking him from the rest of that memory. Just in case, I started counting backwards from a thousand in Arabic as well.

Edward looked very confused, unsure of what to make of my advice.

"Thanks," he said after a moment's hesitation. He still didn't seem entirely reassured as he stalked out of my office, muttering to himself, trying to work something out. Apparently, I had not helped very much.

"No, no," he objected. "You've helped a lot. I just need to work some things out for myself."

And though I had known it for many years, the realisation hit me all over again: Edward; my son, my first real companion…he was, as paradoxical as it sounds, growing up.

Esme:

"Have a good night," Renee farewelled. "Tell Alice I can't wait to see that dress! Why couldn't she come today, if you don't mind me asking? It's unusual for her to miss a session, especially this close to the big day - tomorrow, can you believe it?"

She and I both sighed dreamily, losing the track of conversation for a moment before my sense returned.

"She was out shopping with Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper," I explained. Rose and Alice were actually hunting, and had dragged the boys along - presumably to interrogate them about their supposedly 'innocent' bachelor party, which Carlisle had wisely opted out of - but I didn't doubt Alice would have found the need to tack an emergency shopping trip onto the end. "I'll let her know though. Now, get a good sleep. You need to be up bright and early tomorrow!"

Renee laughed and trudged back up the stairs, waving to me one last time before disappearing inside her room. After her first night in Forks, at our place, Renee had taken a room in a hotel deeper into town. I wouldn't doubt certain members of the family helped her make that decision, but we were all grateful, because we didn't have to pretend to be asleep at night now that there were no humans in the house who didn't know about us.

Alice, Rosalie, Bella and I had seen Renee frequently since she had arrived, mostly at our place, but I had invited myself to her hotel room this time to leave Edward and Carlisle alone in the house. Edward had wanted to talk to Carlisle earlier, but only in absolute privacy. Needless to say, I was curious, but it was none of my business so I was determined to let it be. Or at least try.

When I arrived at home, the lights were on but every room was quite deserted. Carlisle had left a book lying face-down on his desk. He hardly ever left them like that, and never for long periods of time: it damaged the spine. He must be home.

"Carlisle?" I wondered. No answer. Perhaps he had been called to the hospital for an emergency…but he hadn't left me a note. Perhaps he and Edward had gone to join the others.

I walked out the back of the house and found that Edward and Carlisle's scent trails split. I followed Carlisle's and it led me down to a very familiar spot on the river bank. Tufts of rough grass and clover and different coloured flowers grew in the clearing, like something out of a fairy tale. We often joked that, if I started singing here, deer and chipmunks would come to listen. There was a large boulder embedded in the bank, overhanging the river: the water bubbled quietly around it, finishing the fairytale image with the perfect bubbling brook.

Carlisle was sitting on the rock, his knees drawn up to his chest, absently dropping pebbles into the river. With each one, I could hear the _plunk _of it entering the water, and then the _clink _as it hit the rocks in the river. There would be a moment of silence, then another _plunk._

"Carlisle?" I wondered softly, creeping up to him. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm just getting nostalgic, I guess," he replied, so softly I could scarcely hear.

_Plunk._

_Clink._

"Was it something Edward said?" I inquired.

_Plunk._

"Sort of…not really…" Carlisle shook his head. I put a hand on his shoulder, and tried to look into his eyes.

_Clink._

"Carlisle, talk to me. What's wrong?" I asked.

"Edward," Carlisle replied. "He's getting _married, _Esme! _Tomorrow. _My son is getting married tomorrow!"

"That's a _good _thing," I insisted. "Edward deserves it."

"I know. That's the problem," Carlisle said. He brushed the remaining pebbles off his hand, and they plunked into the river like raindrops. "I don't want him to leave, Esme." His voice was hoarse. He shifted sideways so that I could sit beside him. I took the invitation, and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

"He won't leave," I assured Carlisle, wrapping my arms around him and locking my fingers. I leant forward and put my chin on his shoulder.

"He won't have anything holding him back," Carlisle replied. "And since Bella will be with him, he has no reason to stay here…"

"Except _us. _He loves us, Carlisle. He might spend a few years away here and there, but he'll always come back. The others always have."

"It's hard to explain." Carlisle shook his head. "Edward was the first person who really made me feel good about myself. He was my first son, the first one I changed, my first real companion. Without him, I wouldn't have taken the risk of changing you. Without him, I probably never would have realised I was insanely in love with you. All these years I've been there to catch him when he falls, and now he doesn't need me to. Now he has Bella. And he totally deserves her, which makes me feel all the worse for having a part of me wish he didn't."

The pain in his eyes made me want to cry.

"Oh, Carlisle," I crooned, pulling him backwards. We both fell into a patch of clover. I rolled over and kissed him fleetingly, and he smiled up at me, but there was still sadness in his eyes. "You'll always be a father to him. He'll always love you."

"I know…but it doesn't make it any easier," Carlisle admitted. At that moment, both our eyes were drawn to a single butterfly, fluttering lazily through the cool air. It landed on Carlisle's hand, and he smiled.

"Late for migration," he murmured, as a hundred butterflies made their marks against the sky, a shimmering rainbow in the moonlight.

"Transformation, hope and the soul," I murmured, admiring the one which had alighted on Carlisle's palm. "It's trying to tell you something."

Carlisle laughed, but examined the butterfly carefully; not like a scientist, but like an artist. Like a child, even. When it flew off to catch up with its companions, he sighed in content. He shut his eyes, feigning sleep as he contemplated the butterfly and anything else that happened to cross his mind.

"Don't be late," I whispered. He smiled but didn't open his eyes.

"Never."

I kissed his forehead gently and left him to his meditation.


	49. Perfect

**AN ~ sorry it's been so long since my last update but real life is getting busier. School starts soon! Grr. Oh well here is another chapter for you...enjoy the fluff while it lasts coz next chapter things get shaken up again!  
**

**Disclaimer: Breaking Dawn is not mine, nor is the song I used ("On This Day" by David Pomeranz) or - unfortunately - the wedding introduction thing about tapestries and trust. It's a traditional one though.**

Chapter Forty Nine: Perfect

Esme:

The light of the morning lit up the backyard as the sun begun to creep over the horizon. Everything shimmering with dew, and I took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, looking out over the yard as Jasper and Emmett set up the chairs. It was going to be the perfect day. How beautiful.

"Pay attention, Esme! Make sure they get it right!" Alice instructed.

"You got it," I nodded, laughing at my smallest daughter's authoritarian command.

"I'm going to pick up Bella," Alice continued. "When Carlisle gets back, get him to set those up, will you?" She gestured to a box of twinkle lights. "And don't let _anyone _upstairs. Only you. And not even you can go in my room, okay? Guard that dress with your life!"

"Of course, Alice," I replied as she disappeared out the front of the house.

Her Porsche ripped out of the driveway and disappeared down the street with a screech.

"Drive safe!" I cried after her, leaning around the wall so I could see the Porsche disappear around a bend. Alice turned up the radio. I laughed, and returned my attention to the boys. As promised, Carlisle arrived with the sun. He looked refreshed, grinning and holding up a hand to block the sunlight from his eyes as he jogged towards me, an explosion of crystalline sparkles.

"Something tells me Alice is excited," he noted as he sprung up the porch steps to stand behind me. He brushed a lock of hair out of my face and leant forward to kiss my cheek, but I turned my head and caught his lips on mine for just a second.

"Indeed," I agreed. "By the way, you're on Light Duty." I pointed to the box of lights and Carlisle sighed.

"I'm home for one minute…" he muttered, picking up the box and making a point of heaving it through the house as if it actually cost him effort. Jasper and Emmett laughed, and I headed down into the backyard to help them. On my way down to the boys I noticed Rosalie in the shadows, looking upset. I ran over to her instead.

"Are you okay, Rose?" I asked quietly, touching her shoulder gently. I wouldn't to intrude if she didn't want me.

"Yeah, I guess," she brushed me off with a shrug.

"You don't sound it," I told her gently.

"It's just…Bella. I mean, I know she makes Edward happy and everything, and I'm glad, but she's giving away everything I ever wanted. Just like _that." _She clicked her fingers. "I would give _so much _to be where she is, but she's just throwing it away like none of it matters! How can she _do_ that?" She whipped around, yelling in my face. I backed off, and when she noticed my shock, she stopped.

"It's her choice, Rose," I pointed out. "She's doing this for Edward; for _love. _That matters more than anything, as she sees it."

"But she could love some nice _human _guy! She could have kids, Esme – _real _children _of her own."_

"She knows that," I said, choking on tears. I couldn't help it.

"See!" Rose cried, hearing the sadness in my voice. "See; you're not okay with this!"

"I wish she didn't have to give that up," I admitted, "but I have other things in my life now; so will she."

"You still cry over him, Esme, I hear you." Rosalie's words stopped me as I walked away. Her voice was hushed and dark.

"Bella hasn't had a child to miss," I replied in the same tone, without turning to face her. She sighed.

"Esme..." she started. I heard her step towards me and then give up the chase. "Mum, I'm sorry. I need to lighten up. This is their day. I'm spoiling it for everyone. There is some good in this. Even I can see that." She chuckled bitterly. "I'll try and have fun."

I couldn't stay mad. I hugged her tightly and she allowed me a moment before pushing me away. I wasn't disheartened; Rosalie wasn't one for hugs.

"Come on, let's go help the boys," I suggested.

"You didn't give them matches, did you?" Rosalie ducked from an imaginary explosion.

"No, no, but Alice will have our heads if they put a single chair out of line." I grinned at Rose, remembering the little tantrum Alice had thrown at Rose and Emmett's last wedding, when the chairs apparently hadn't been arranged right. Of course, being vampires, we had ample time to fix it, and Emmett had scored some hilarious home videos in the process. We couldn't show the videos to a human, unfortunately, but we still got a good laugh out of them every time. I wonder what Bella will say next time we pull them out...she is likely to have been added to the collection by then.

.o.o.o.

Alice returned at a considerably more sane speed than she had left at, and hurried Bella upstairs the minute they crossed the threshold. As promised, I had thwarted all attempts to sneak a peek at Alice's surprise. Not that there were many; Rose and I kept the potential perpetrators busy.

By mid-afternoon, nearly everything was ready. The cake, the photography, and of course the music: Rosalie was the second-most able musician in the family - second only to Edward - but often she was overlooked when it came to the spotlight of musical ability. Today she would get her chance to shine. I smiled as my daughter darted past; grinning and humming under her breath as she scoured the house for her flute. Her sister's cheerful attitude seems to have rubbed off.

Emmett and Jasper had finished the chairs, and after an intense inspection by Rosalie, they were granted time off. Currently, they were laughing at Carlisle as he tried to set up the archway and alter: he got the basics right, but the flowers and gossamer weren't working for him. His surgeon's fingers were brilliant with bodies, but when it came to flowers? Not so much. That's why I was the gardener. Of course, Emmett had broken out the video camera: the boys rarely let their father escape an embarrassing moment without recording it for the rest of eternity.

"Esme," Carlisle finally called, letting the tangled gossamer fall around him as he looked at me with pleading eyes. In an instant, I was down the bottom of the yard to assist him.

"Loop it through here," I suggested, bending the stalk of a rose through the right hole. Carlisle sighed and unwrapped his accidental gossamer toga. He handed the material over to me and, with a sheepish but victorious grin, darted away to answer the door for the first of the guests.

Once I had finished the altar, I headed inside to greet the growing crowd, catching up with old friends like Kate and Tanya, as well as meeting people I had never met before, like Charlie's deputy Mark. Renée was there as well, seeming a little out of place at the social gathering of which she wasn't quite part: she didn't know the Cullens, and she wasn't from Forks. Instead of trying too hard to mingle, she went upstairs to see Bella.

"You're going to love Bella's dress!" Rosalie whispered excitedly as she headed for the piano, having been unable to locate her flute.

I glanced upstairs and Alice waved a hand, signaling they were ready to go. I clapped my hands together once, calling the audience to attention.

"Okay," I announced. "If everyone would like to make their way outside, we're nearly ready." A murmur of excitement ran through the crowd and people eagerly headed towards their seats in the yard.

"It's wonderful, Esme!" Renee declared, hugging me tightly. "You and Alice should consider wedding planning as a career. Bella looks fabulous, too! Thank you so much for arranging all this."

"No problem," I replied as we walked up the aisle to take our seats. I had to consciously stop myself calling her _dear. _As Bella had once said, Renée had quite a creative – somehow childish – way of seeing the world. Not to mention she was less than half my age."I quite enjoyed it."

.o.o.o.

The seating was mostly arranged depending on whether you came for the bride or the groom, our family being on Edward's side, but as Carlisle would be standing with Edward there was an empty seat beside me. Renée decided to follow me, passing me a handkerchief as she was beginning to tear up already. She and I sat down just as Rosalie started playing Pachelbel's Canon. Carlisle stood by the altar, beside Edward, wearing a proud smile. I could imagine the tears in his eyes.

Alice came out first, wearing a beautiful silver dress and carrying a bouquet of roses, freesia and orange blossoms. A few seconds after her, Bella emerged from the house, wearing a stunning white dress; the skirt was higher at the front, like an upside-down calla lily. Her eyes were framed with thick lashes, and her cheeks pink with blush – which I had a feeling was mostly natural. Charlie was by her side in a tuxedo, looking proud, happy, and sad all at once.

When Bella stepped up to the altar, the priest began the ceremony.

"Edward Anthony Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan, today you celebrate one of life's greatest moments and give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, as you join together in vows of marriage."

Just as two very different threads woven in opposite directions can form a beautiful tapestry, so can your two lives merge together to form a very beautiful marriage. To make your marriage work will take love. Love should be the core of your marriage; love is the reason you are here. But it also will take trust - to know in your hearts that you want the best for each other.

It will take dedication - to stay open to one another, to learn and to grow together even when this is not always easy to do. It will take faith - to always be willing to go forward to tomorrow, never really knowing what tomorrow will bring. And it will take commitment - to hold true to the journey you both now pledge to share together."

Renee was steadily sobbing beside me now. She wrapped her arms around me and I hugged her back, closing my eyes for a moment as they stung with bittersweet tears.

"Who presents this man and this woman to be married?" the priest asked.

"I do," Charlie and Carlisle replied in unison, their expressions matching: Carlisle was only missing the tears sliding down his face. Bella was crying too, though I don't know if she realised, as the priest recited their vows. The corner of Carlisle's mouth twitched at the private joke - Bella and Edward had asked to exchange the traditional "'til death do us part" for the more appropriate line, considering their circumstances.

"...as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Bella squeaked, her voice trembling.

"I do," Edward vowed, smooth and confident.

.o.o.o.

The ceremony was over now, and Edward led Bella through the crowd, letting everyone give her a hug. She looked simply shocked, standing like a statue as both families and all her friends hugged her. It would have been nice to have Jacob Black here; it was a shame he was absent. The two of them were very close. Seth Clearwater and his mother Sue were here, as well as Billy Black, but Jacob was still nowhere to be seen.

"Are you okay, honey?" Carlisle asked approaching me through the crowd.

"Yes," I choked, smiling as I watched Bella and Edward disappear into the house, just ahead of the rest of the crowd. I sighed. "Our little Edward is all grown up."

"I suppose it is time," Carlisle admitted, glancing over his shoulder at Edward and Bella, sounding just as choked up as I was. He slid his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. I handed him the handkerchief Renee had given me. Carlisle laughed gently.

"Care for a dance?" he invited, gesturing to the allocated dance-floor, where Edward and Bella and a few other couples were already drifting around; some talking, others silently peaceful. Without waiting for an answer, Carlisle entwined his fingers in mine and pulled me to the edge of the crowd. We hadn't intended to stop, but the scene before us was just so touching that both of us came to a halt: Edward and Bella, in the center of the floor, twirling effortlessly as if they had spent every moment of their lives rehearsing for this moment.

From a set of speakers somewhere, a simple but powerful and beautiful song was playing.

_On this day_

_I promise forever_

_On this day_

_I surrender my heart_

_Here I stand_

_Take my hand_

_And I will honour every word that I say_

_On this day_

"It's beautiful," Carlisle breathed, smiling wistfully, his eyes still on Edward and Bella. "Untouchable; totally enchanted. It's perfect. Look at them, Esme."

"How far they've come." I smiled and shook my head, hardly able to believe it. "But yes. Perfect."


	50. Impossible

**AN ~ Hey guys! I'm soooooooooo so sorry for the (very very very) long wait! Thanks so much for all the reviews over the last few chaps; I tried to respond to each individually but I've been really busy so if yours slipped through the cracks, I'm very sorry. Your feedback is much appreciated.**

**Speaking of reviews; abortion is a theme of this and the next chapter. It is a very controversial subject so I won't post my opinion up here. If you waant to know, feel free to ask. And what do you think about it? I'm curious!**

**Disclaimer: I am not saying if I think Carlisle's thoughts on abortion are or are not correct *unless you ask; I'll be happy to answer* and BD is not mine :( ****My Lit h/w is though and it's super boring!**

Chapter Fifty: Impossible

Carlisle:

Seventeen days - and a thousand times more inappropriate jokes - later, and Bella and Edward apparently showed no signs of returning home any time soon.

"You might have to start charging those two rent," Rosalie suggested with a snicker.

"More like damages!" Emmett laughed heartily, joined by his brother and sisters and admittedly, Esme and I.

"Just as long as they don't sink the place, they can stay," Esme reasoned. Alice guffawed.

"The way they carry on on that beach, I wouldn't be surprised if they _did _sink the place!" She cringed, exaggerating her disgust. "Mind you, it's not quite as bad as watching _you _two. I mean-"

Esme cleared her throat loudly, cutting Alice off. Jasper was grinning diabolically alongside his mate. Rosalie pressed her lips together to avoid laughing and Emmett high-fived his brother.

"Do you think Bella might soften up her anti-gift policy after this?" I asked, changing the subject before Esme's and my sex lives became open targets. Everyone looked to Alice, who grinned and shut her eyes, waving her fingers in a mystical fashion before putting her fingers to her temples.

"I see..." she began dramatically. "I see..?"

Alice began to tremble a little. This happened with some of her visions; usually vivid ones, but not necessarily bad ones. Jasper could always tell the difference, though.

"Alice?" his voice was low. Alice whimpered. Jasper was at her side in a flash, arms wrapped firmly around her. The rest of us shared fearful glances.

"Alice, darlin', what is it?" Jasper asked softly as Alice came out of her vision.

"Phone," Alice requested. Rosalie flashed across the lounge and returned to the dining room with the handset. Alice was set on her mission, not saying a word as she hurriedly pressed the numbers in. It was only thanks to Jasper that we weren't all pacing the floor as we waited for whoever she was calling to pick up.

At last, they did.

"Bella? Bella, are you okay?" Alice demanded into the speaker of the phone, holding it a few centimetres away from her mouth, trying not to sound too urgent…and failing. "He is. What's the problem?" Another pause, then: "Is Edward all right? Why didn't he answer the phone?"

I looked to the others to see if any of them had heard or seen something I had missed. They shrugged and gave me blank and worried looks. Esme clasped my hand tightly, her wide eyes intent on Alice's face.

"Bella, what's going on?" Alice pressed. "I just saw- Here's Carlisle."

I was taken by surprise when Alice pressed the handset into my palm. I'd scarcely had time to gather my thoughts. Everyone's eyes were on me. Esme's hand clasped mine. I stared straight ahead and tried to pretend it was any one of my other patients who had called.

"Bella, it's Carlisle. What's going on?" I managed to keep my voice relatively calm, though I was clenching Esme's hand with a ferocious strength born of panic.Edward was medically experienced enough to deal with most illnesses or a fall, even if it caused broken bones or concussion. What had happened to him? Why hadn't he answered his phone? What had Alice seen? Why did Bella need my help so urgently?

"_I- I'm a little worried about Edward," _Bella replied, flustered._ "Can vampires go into shock?"_

"Has he been harmed?" My worry was slipping into my tone now. Esme gasped.

"_No, no,"_ Bella hurried to assure me. _"Just…taken by surprise."_

Edward? Surprised?

"I don't understand, Bella."

"_I think…well, I think that…maybe…I might be…"_ Bella paused to take a deep breath. I was holding mine. Alice had her fingers interlaced, pressing them to her lips, bouncing anxiously. Jasper's eyes shifted between myself and Alice every few seconds. Emmett and Rose watched for my every flicker of emotion or reaction. Esme fought the urge to claw at my hand with her anxious fingers. She fidgeted uncomfortably. The silence seemed to drag on an hour, until at last, Bella got the word out.

"_Pregnant."_

I swallowed my reaction and, to sort this out without anyone over-reacting, slipped upstairs to my study. Esme was puzzled, but she didn't follow. The others murmured amongst themselves, curious and concerned, as I shut the door. I'd heard stories, of course; it was a fairly popular but extremely far-fetched vampire myth. The incubus; a male vampire who impregnated human females, often ones he supposedly fed off repeatedly throughout the relationship.

No. It's not possible. There are too many holes in that myth. Besides, it's not as though Bella is a medical professional. She might be wrong. She's probably wrong. That's why she wants to talk to me.

"When was the first day of your last menstrual cycle?" I asked.

"_Sixteen days before the wedding." _Not a gap worth worrying about - yet.

"How do you feel?"

"…_weird."_ Her voice was choked with tears. _"This is going to sound crazy – look, I know it's way too early for any of this. Maybe I_ am_ crazy. But I'm having bizarre dreams and eating all the time and throwing up and… and…I swear something_ moved_ inside me just now."_

I tried to formulate a response, but none came. The symptoms were certainly signs of pregnancy, but really, it was completely unreasonable. It was far too fast, first of all...

"_Um, I think Edward wants to talk to you,"_ Bella said.

"Put him on," I said, my voice strained. _You shouldn't hurt her so long as you're careful, _I had told him. What a fool I was! How many myths had been proved right in my existence – in fact, _by _my existence? And yet, I chose to ignore the one that could be permanently damaging if not fatal to Bella. _Of course _incubi were unheard of amongst true vampires: there were very few of us who could exercise the restraint for such an act, and even fewer who would want to try.

"_Is it possible?"_ Edward's voice was hardly more than a breath. I gathered my thoughts quickly.

"Well the signs are right," I began carefully. "They're all indications of pregnancy, but severely accelerated. To my knowledge, nothing natural could produce this kind of effect.

"I've heard the Incubus myths, of course, but never heard of anything like it actually occurring. I don't know how credible they are; to be honest, I haven't looked into it. Esme and Rosalie can't bear children because they're frozen. Their bodies can't change to accommodate life inside of them. Whether Emmett and I are fertile or not is irrelevant.

"I'm inclined not to believe the stories, but you and Bella have long since exceeded the known boundaries for vampire-human interaction. As far as I know; only the Denali sisters, you and I would have the experience and strength for that level of intimacy with a human. I certainly don't have the inclination, and the Denali sisters don't have the ability to bear children, but you? You are a special case. I don't know what to make of it."

"_And Bella?"_

"There's no way to tell for sure until I take a closer look. Pregnancy or not, this rate of growth...infection...whatever it may be, could be very dangerous for Bella. Bring her home. I'll take a look, and if it's true…well…I'll be prepared for that just in case. Get her here as soon as possible, okay?"

"_Yes. Yes I will,"_ Edward replied, and hung up.

I pressed the 'end' button and let the handset clatter onto my desk. I put both hands under my chin and stared at the wood. I'd never heard of any disease that could give someone such specific symptoms, even if Bella was hallucinating...and while she sounded confused and frightened, she didn't sound deluded.

But pregnant? That was...complicated. If she was pregnant - _if_, I reminded myself - what would I do? Clearly, with this rate of acceleration, it was not a normal pregnancy. It could - in fact, it probably would - be extremely detrimental to Bella's health. Especially if it was indeed Edward's child. Bella was young, fit, and she ate reasonably well, but whatever it was that was growing inside of her would use up nutrients and vitamins faster than she could produce them for it, let alone for the both of them. Not to mention, it would force her body to change dramatically, very quickly; she was not ready for that. 

Bella could very well die. And Edward would follow. And at the end of it all, the child would probably waste away too.

_You've chosen not to live without her, and that doesn't leave me a choice._

No choice then; no choice now. I would not lose my daughter and I certainly would not lose my son. Even if it meant...

I rubbed my hands over my face and then through my hair. This was not going to be easy.

"Carlisle?" Esme's soft voice made me jump. She slipped into my study and I watched her face fall as she noted my expression.

"What's happened?" she asked sadly, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and kissing my cheek supportively.

"It's Bella," I explained. "She's sick."

"Oh, dear! And on her honeymoon, too," Esme lamented. "What has she got?"

"It's easily dealt with," I shrugged. It hurt.

"Carlisle." Esme's eyes locked onto mine, sweetly pleading the answer from me while somehow threatening blood and hellfire if she didn't get it. "What's wrong with Bella?"


	51. Cracks Begin to Show

**AN ~ sorry it took so long (again) I'm so busy! oh well, can't say I didn't warn you I guess. Damn year 11! so much work!**

**anyway: I felt kind of mean this chapter. Oh I'm cruel!**

**Disclaimer: BD is not mine :(**

Chapter Fifty One: Cracks Begin to Show

Esme:

Carlisle stared deep into my eyes, slowly taking my hands in his and bringing them together between us.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "Esme, I'm so sorry."

I trembled. Seeing Carlisle so afraid, so sad, so broken made me feel vulnerable. If he'd just fought a battle, I might understand, but a medical problem? One 'easily dealt with,' too, apparently. I must have missed something-

Oh God.

No.

"Bella is pregnant, Esme," Carlisle explained solemnly. "It seems to me that the safest option for all of us is to abort the pregnancy before it goes too far."

A baby. Bella's having a baby and he wants to take it away? I whimpered, unable to decide how to react.

"Esme, I'm sorry," he repeated. "I wouldn't do this if there were another way. You know I wouldn't. Bella is in danger, though, and there's nothing else I can do. I need you to trust my judgement and forgive me for what I have to do. Please forgive me, Esme."

When I didn't respond, he drew me close to his chest, his arms wrapped firmly around me, and rocked gently from side to side. Memories flashed through my head; slightly blurred, choppy, static like an old film.

_"I'm sorry, ma'am,"_ the nameless, faceless doctor from my human memory told me. _"There's nothing else we can do. I think we're going to lose him."_

By the next morning, my son was dead. I remembered holding his tiny, lifeless body in my hands, screaming for the nurses because I refused to acknowledge that he was past all help.

I sobbed into Carlisle's chest, and my pain quickly swelled into rage. I shoved him away and he complied.

"Forgive me?" he murmured again, desperately this time. Those words set a flame to my fury.

"_FORGIVE YOU?" _I roared. "How can I forgive you for this! How can you possibly convince me that this is okay! It's a _baby _you're talking about, Carlisle, not an infection! How can you even _think _of destroying it? It is no better than murder!" His face contorted, hurt and concerned, and he started towards me. I crouched, baring my teeth, and he stopped.

"Carlisle," I continued in a soft, chillingly dark voice. "We've both had to kill for this family before, and I've had my fair share of slips. For all that and as many mistakes as you'll ever make, I happily grant my forgiveness. But the day; no, the very _instant _you become a willing _murderer_ - of an unborn child, no less - I will walk out of here and never return. I will _never_ forgive you. It will break my heart, but I'll do it."

Silence met my words. Deathly silence, through the whole house. I took a deep, shuddering breath, and Carlisle sighed heavily. After a long moment, he finally looked up from the patch of carpet between us.

"Esme," he managed at last, "I don't know what else to do. Bella shouldn't have to _die._ Not like this." Carlisle struggled to contain himself. He dragged a hand through his hair and paced anxiously. "She's a _good person _Esme. It's not fair to let her die like this. Bella deserves a better death."

"Better than what? Bringing a new life into the world? Giving birth to a child - is there a better way to die?" 

Carlisle threw his arms into the air.

"It's not a _child _Esme!" he was almost yelling now; torn between his duties, desperate to make me understand. "It's a _monster! _It's going to kill her, before it even gets to full term. That - _thing - _inside her is stealing her body's nutrition. She can't keep up! It'll suck her dry! I cannot - I _can not _stand by and let that happen! Not now, after all we've been through. And certainly not to her."

I bit my lip, whimpering at the emptiness I suddenly felt. Carlisle had heard my ultimatum. He knew what his decision meant. How could he choose that path?

"What's happened to you?" I demanded.

"What's happened to _me?" _Carlisle's eyes widened. "Esme, what's happened to _you? _This is _Bella _we're talking about! She's a part of this family - she has been for a long time now. If we can't protect our family, what are we?"

"I should ask you the same question. I'm frightened, Carlisle. I've never known you to be so...heartless!"

"Esme-"

I had already slammed the door, cutting him off as I bolted down the stairs, my head in my hands. This is not right. Carlisle wouldn't do that. He wouldn't hurt me, he wouldn't kill a child and he would never, ever, put someone else above me. Even if it was Bella. He wouldn't. He couldn't. Not my Carlisle, not the man I fell in love with. Like he said; he would protect his family, no matter what the cost, no matter how difficult it was. No matter what he had to do, he'd find a way. That's just the kind of man he is.

That's just what he's trying to do. Oh, Carlisle, I'm sorry. How could I be so careless? So ignorant of his feelings? He's wrong...so wrong...but he's only trying. Of course he's thought about this! About how Bella will feel, how I will feel. Carlisle loves us all so much that he was willing to risk this fight with me. He must have seen it coming. He didn't want it; that's why he tried to avoid my question!

_"Esme, I'm sorry...I don't know what else to do...forgive me"_

_"FORGIVE YOU? How can I forgive you for this!...What's happened to you?...I've never known you to be so _heartless!"

I didn't feel myself trip until I hit the ground. I didn't bother to get up again. I just sat there and cried. What have I done?

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

"Esme-"

The sentence died in my throat as I found I was talking to the wood of my door. It was hanging on one hinge, and it only took a light tap to get it open. My legs were shaking as I slowly, robotically made my way down the stairs. Rosalie and Emmett weren't there. Jasper was watching me with a solemn but sympathetic expression, unsure of whether or not to say anything. Alice had both hands over her mouth, and was quivering slightly as she came over to me, light and nimble but flighty and nervous.

"Carlisle," she whimpered, hugging me tightly, pinning my limp arms to my sides. "Everything's going to be okay, right?"

I glanced at Jasper as Alice buried her nose into my chest.

"Dad?" she asked softly. I pried my arms from her grasp and wrapped them around her, half-carrying her to the lounge. She refused to let go of me.

"I'm trying, Alice sweetie," I promised gently. "This is more complicated than I had thought."

Suddenly, Alice bolted upright. Her gaze fixed on the doorway from the kitchen. A moment later, Rosalie came storming through it.

"CARLISLE CULLEN!" she screeched, shaking a cell-phone at me accusingly. "HOW DARE YOU? YOU MONSTER! YOU CALLOUS, COLD-HEARTED _BASTARD!"_

"Rosalie," Jasper admonished, dispelling his sister's anger for her. Rosalie hissed through clenched teeth.

"Don't play your games with me," she hissed before returning her attention to me. "You too - enough! You're a fake! You like to pretend this is a democracy, don't you? Sounds pretty damn corrupt to me! Edward comes running to you over some problem and off we go. A click of his fingers and you fix his every problem! He's got you wrapped around his little finger, hasn't he?"

"I've done a lot to help you in the past," I pointed out, "this is Edward's time of need. It's only fair we offer him assistance."

"And what about Bella, hmm? I'd say this is _her _time of need. You're a doctor - shouldn't you be tending to your patient, instead of strapping her down and removing the 'problem'?"

"I never said anything about strapping her down. I actually have no idea what Bella's opinion is of this whole matter. All I know is that she's scared and this thing could quite possibly kill her."

I lowered my eyes from Rosalie's face as the pain on Esme's face, in her voice, flashed through my head. I'd never seen her that wounded...or that mad with me. Not even when I'd tried to hide what was going on in Seattle. There was hatredin her eyes. True, heart-felt _hatred._ For _me._

"That's right, feel bad," Rosalie sneered. "You have good reason. Where's Esme?"

She looked around at our faces, expecting someone to answer her. I didn't have the heart to. After an unnaturally long silence, Jasper finally did.

"You missed quite the argument," he explained. "Esme...left."

"Oh...Oh my God, Carlisle, I'm so sorry," she backtracked quickly. "I swear, I-"

I held up a hand.

"Rose, it's okay. You weren't to know. And you're right; taking Bella's child away without her consent would be hideously cruel of me. I underestimated the effect this whole event would have on the rest of the family, and I'm sorry for that."

"You should go find Esme," Alice recommended quietly.

.o.o.o.

I found Esme in the forest, very far away from home. She had her legs drawn up to her chest, her head resting on her knees. She must have heard my approach; she looked up as I came towards her, and locked her forlorn eyes on mine.

"I'm sorry," she mouthed as I settled in the dirt and rotting leaves beside her, and drew her into my arms.

"I'm sorry too, sweetheart," I murmured into her hair.

"I didn't mean what I said, Carlisle," she promised in a teary voice, wrapping her arms around my torso. "You're not heartless. You couldn't be if you tried. You scared me, though; you were so..."

I grimaced, not needing her to finish that sentence.

"I wasn't myself. I shouldn't have yelled at you," I apologised. "I was scared. I wanted - no, _needed _you to understand."

"I do," she choked. "But it's still not right."

"I know that," I replied softly. "I promise you; if Bella wants to keep her...baby...I will manage her condition to the best of my ability and see what can be done. I doubt it will turn out well, but I will not give up."

Esme pressed her forehead into my chest.

"Thank you," she sighed.

My cell vibrated, making both of us jump. With Esme leaning over my shoulder, I flicked it open to reveal the message.

_Alice:_

_Ed + Belz plane landed. Home soon. PS - glad u + mom made up :D_

Esme giggled.

"Come on; we'd better not keep her waiting. No doubt she wants to throw us a party."

She laughed warmly at our daughter's antics and skipped off for home. I was about to follow when a new message flashed onto my screen.

_Edward:_

_CARLISLE!_


	52. Counting Chickens

**AN ~ Sorry it's been so long guys! It sucks, I know, but that's life I guess...oh well...I hope you enjoy it. Well, perhaps enjoy is the wrong word, but you get the idea :)**

**Disclaimer: BD = not mine :( OMG can't wait for the trailer though. Hurry up Summit! We're goin' crazy here!**

Chapter Fifty Two: Counting Chickens

Esme:

It wasn't long at all before a very anxious Edward followed equally nervous Bella into the house. Carlisle, aiming for a lighthearted and optimistic attitude, carried out his examination with energy. Of course, it wasn't too hard for him to minimalise his anxiety with Rosalie chattering in his ear about how much Bella wanted to keep the baby and me smiling at him from across the room. He was by no means comfortable under all this pressure - particularly with Edward scowling from his new wife's side - but Carlisle knew he needed to be authority figure here. He was her doctor and she needed him to have a clear head. A clear head that was as desperate to keep her child as she was, so perhaps not so clear at all...

My smile faltered. I felt terrible for manipulating him like this; it seemed like I was pitting him against Edward. Edward, my marvelous son, the last person in the world I would want to hurt outside of Carlisle.

Suddenly, Carlisle jumped.

"Unbelievable," he murmured, tentatively placing his hand back against Bella's ballooning belly, his expression somewhere between a smile and a frown.

"Rose! Rose!" Bella cried gleefully. "My little nudger is kicking!"

Rosalie gleefully swarmed over to Bella, praising and smiling and joking, her laugh ringing out like bells when she felt the child moving. A hand almost subconsciously reached up to touch my cheek, to wipe away the tears that should have been slipping down it.

"Esme," Bella beckoned quietly. "Come on."

Rosalie obligingly stepped aside as I made my way across the room and lay my hand where Bella directed. There was a moment of silence, of perfect stillness, and then I felt it. A whimper escaped my lips when I felt that little bump against my palm. I gave a breathy little snort of laughter and glanced up at Bella's face. She smiled at me. I felt a hand gently squeeze my shoulder and saw Carlisle standing beside me, a peaceful smile on his face as he observed my interaction with Bella and her child.

"Carlisle," Edward growled quietly. "You and I have some serious talking to do."

Bella looked unsettled all of a sudden. Rose hurried to reassure her. Carlisle's hand disappeared from my shoulder.

"I agree, Edward," he said calmly. "However, I hope you don't have it in your head to convince me against this path of action. I have made my decision."

Bella's eyes flickered to my face, then Rose's and then back to Edward's. Carlisle had been careful not to incriminate the rest of us by identifying us as part of his decision-making process, but both Edward and Bella knew we had participated.

"I think we had best take this conversation elsewhere," Edward suggested cordially. Carlisle nodded and the two of them disappeared. I bit my lip lightly.

"I hope Edward isn't too hard on Carlisle," Bella murmured. "He can be terribly overprotective." She smiled weakly and swayed on the spot. Rose sighed and rolled her eyes, catching Bella and directing her towards the couch.

"Honestly, Bella, why don't you sleep on aeroplanes? It's bad for you and baby to force yourself to stay awake like this. You probably haven't eaten anything either. Esme, make her something will you?"

"I'm sorry, who died and made you Queen of Everything?" Alice objected before her sister could steal Bella from the room. "I think you're forgetting the most important thing. _Somebody _has to buy this blimp a new wardrobe and I say we might as well do it while she's awake."

"Well we can't take her to any stores around here," Emmett pointed out. "Someone'll think Bella's been gang-beaten. And that's with_out_ the freaky-fast baby bump. Nobody gets that pregnant in three weeks."

Alice scowled. Rosalie huffed and stroked her hand across Bella's belly.

"_I _think it's beautiful," she insisted. "And a faster pregnancy just means we'll get to look at the little nudger's beautiful face sooner!"

The others filtered through, with Bella, to the lounge, leaving only myself and Jasper, his presence like a shadow in the doorway. He was the only one of us who hadn't spoken up yet. He usually was the last, but I would have thought that, with so many conflicting and undoubtedly powerful emotions about this subject, he would have voiced his thoughts long ago.

Sensing my confusion, Jasper smiled half a smile and stepped up to my side.

"I'm on Alice's side," he offered. "At present, this is something to be excited about, but Carlisle's worry has strong foundation and merit. I wouldn't discard that so quickly."

"Hopefully his worry's strong foundation can be shaken," I remarked.

"Hopefully," Jasper agreed.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

We ran through the forest until Edward stopped and turned around.

"WHAT do you think you're DOING?" he roared. "You think this is alright, huh? To just let that - that _thing _destroy her? She's only...I don't know, a week through? Two? And she already looks like a meth addict. Can you imagine what will happen if this continues?"

"I can. And I don't like it," I replied. "But who's to say it will continue like this? It's not unheard of for the beginning of a pregnancy to be rocky and uncertain before steadying out as the body learns to accommodate. Sometimes the mother is driven to the brink of death before pulling out the other side, both parties alive and kicking."

"Bella's had enough near-death experiences!" Edward declared. "Her number is well and truly up! You can help her, Carlisle! Don't you have some kind of authority in these situations? Can't you declare her of unsound mind or something? Anything!"

"I could, but that would be forgery and deceit."

"Hypocrite."

"I don't want to lie any more than I have to, Edward."

"Are you saying that she _is _of sound mind?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"I believe so," I replied. "She has life inside of her, and she wants to protect it. She makes perfect sense."

"Sense!" Edward threw his arms in the air. "Christ, Carlisle, how did you graduate Med school again? I'm pretty sure wanting to throw your life away for an unnatural, life-sucking monster is not sane behaviour. There must be _something _you can do! Strap her down for all I care! _Please,_ I'm _begging _you! She doesn't know what's good for her, Carlisle!"

"That's not your call."

"Exactly! It's yours!" 

"And I say Bella is perfectly sane, and since I will be closely monitoring her condition-"

"WHAT?" Edward cried. "You've got to be joking. You can't be serious. You can make her give it up, can't you?"

"No, Edward, I cannot," I struggled to keep up eye contact, tracking him as he paced in front of me. He sounded so painfully desperate. He looked worse. I sighed.

"Edward, I've discussed these things..."

"With Esme," Edward muttered bitterly.

"Yes with Esme! What difference does it make?" I snapped, before recovering myself. "I'm sorry, Edward. I know this is frightening for you. It is for me too, believe me. But we don't know what's going to happen and it's wrong to destroy what or whoever Bella is carrying until we know for absolute certain that there is a health risk to Bella."

"Tell me that next week when it looks like she's been pushed off Niagra Falls."

With that, he stalked away. I watched him go, having not the heart to follow him, and decided to linger in the forest for a while longer. I decided to hunt before I returned, and sniffed out a herd of deer by a slow section of the creek not far off.

_You're welcome to join me, Edward, _I offered, looking around myself in hope of seeing him. He made no sound in response; nor could I spot a particular movement.

_It saddens me that we are at odds on this, _I told him. _I will not give up on Bella, I promise you. I haven't signed over her soul for this child. Please, Edward, be mature about this. Together, we can work towards Bella's best interests. Let us make up and put this behind us. _

A loud, Rosalie-eque hiss from out of sight told me not to count on it.


	53. The Lamb and The Tyger

**AN ~ At long (long long long LONG ^.^) last, here is the next chapter of Stars! YAY! I am on school holidays now (THANK GOD!) which means I will probably be giving myself square eyes and updating several (if not ALL) of my fics in the next few weeks! YAY!**

**Also, I was thinking of writing a piece for Anzac Day – but since I don't know much about other countries' holidays, I thought I'd better ask; how many of you actually know what that is? I will be giving a breif overview at the beginning of the piece but I want to know how brief to go.**

**This chap we have an appearance (sort of) by legendary Romantic poet William Blake, who I am studying at school. Those of you who haven't heard of him, but who watch the Mentalist, he's the guy who wrote "Tyger Tyger burning bright, in the forests of the night..."**

**Also, if anyone has any ideas about what I should write a poem on, shoot 'em my way coz I need to write some for Lit these hols.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Breaking Dawn OR William Blake (but you can write about ANYTHING by Mr Blake in the WACE (basically HSCE I think) exam.)**

**From last chapter, since it's been so long:**

_Esme:_

_"Unbelievable," he murmured, tentatively placing his hand back against Bella's ballooning belly, his expression somewhere between a smile and a frown._

_"Rose! Rose!" Bella cried gleefully. "My little nudger is kicking!"_

_..._

_Sensing my confusion, Jasper smiled half a smile and stepped up to my side._

_"I'm on Alice's side," he offered. "At present, this is something to be excited about, but Carlisle's worry has strong foundation and merit. I wouldn't discard that so quickly."_

_..._

_Carlisle:_

_"Edward, I've discussed these things...it's wrong to destroy what or whoever Bella is carrying until we know for absolute certain that there is a health risk to Bella."_

_"Tell me that next week when it looks like she's been pushed off Niagra Falls."_

Chapter Fifty Three: The Lamb and The Tyger

Carlisle:

Edward's prediction was uncanny: within the week, Bella was fragile, malnourished, and was covered in bruises. The infant's movements were becoming progressively more destructive and, even though I had Bella on iron and calcium supplements and even steroids, her condition continued to rapidly deteriorate.

Rosalie hovered beside her sickening sister almost constantly. It was sweet, watching them finally connecting on some deeper level, but as Bella's pregnancy progressed it seemed the two of them were simply feeding each others' madness. After a while I stopped approaching Bella when Rosalie beside her, because instead of a health and risk assessment, all I got were withering glares and the threat of battle. Instead, like today, I hovered on the sidelines, trying to make the best judgments I could until Rose's hostility waned into mild disdain and I was granted permission to approach.

Bella was asleep when I finally got the chance to see her – which wasn't saying much, since she slept a lot these days. I stepped up to her bedside, meaning to gently wake her and ask her some questions, but I found my hand – reached out to touch her shoulder – instead brushed the damp brown locks from her hallowed face. She looked so ill, which, all things considered, shouldn't have come as a surprise to me. In a way, it didn't, but there was something heart-wrenching about standing tall out here, when one could almost see the endless, dry deserts of suffering poor Bella had to cross. I found myself wishing for a visible opponent; an enemy to fight against, to tear apart if necessary, to save my daughter from her suffering – for, now more than ever, _my daughter _she had become. As her father, for that I was now, I had to protect her, no matter what the cost, but my only means of doing so were blocked.

I turned around to face Rosalie, who stood at the back of the room with her arms crossed, heel tapping impatiently.

"Why won't you let me take a sample?" I asked. "I can help her, Rose, if only you'd let me."

"I am _not. _Letting _you. _Near _her. _With a _needle._" Rosalie spelled out, spitting through a clenched jaw.

"Abortion was the wrong idea. I see that; I made my choice a week ago! I have not tried to sabotage Bella's pregnancy at any point since then, much to the detriment of my relationship with Edward. I'm dedicated to making this _work, _Rose, can't you see?"

"I see, but I do not believe," she muttered coldly. I sighed and turned back to the sleeping Bella. I took her cold, clammy hand in mine and shut my eyes. Behind me, I heard Rosalie sigh.

"I can give you some alone time with her, if that's what you want," she offered quietly. "No needles. Ten minutes. We're watching you." She left, followed by Emmett, her burly shadow.

I pulled up a chair by Bella's side, and let her hand slip quietly back to her side. She fidgeted uncomfortably; just a little twitch at first, but growing more restless with the passing seconds, until I put a hand on her forehead; it was boiling.

Moaning with fever, Bella slowly opened her eyes.

"Carlisle?" she mumbled, blushing furiously. "Oh, geez, I'm so embarrassed..."

"Don't worry, you didn't say anything incriminating this time." I grinned. Bella squeezed her eyes shut in agony.

"Oh, no!" she breathed.

"Don't worry. Everyone has promised Edward they won't leave this house."

"Hmph." Bella snorted disapprovingly, but her snort turned into a wheeze and then a violent coughing fit. I quickly presented her a glass of water and a handkerchief.

"Thanks," she rasped once it was over, settling back into position, careful not to disturb her enormous belly more than necessary. As she shifted, I noticed a small, paperback novel fall to the carpet below.

"Damn," Bella groaned groggily. "Could you get that for me?"

I bent down to pick it up and saw that it was not a novel like I had been expecting. It was not even classic Austen or Bronte that Edward had told me Bella liked to read. It was, in fact, Mr William Blake's anthology _Songs of Innocence and of Experience. _A rather old copy, actually.

"I found it in your bookshelf ages ago," Bella explained. "I kinda borrowed it. I hope you don't mind."

"No, no, not at all," I replied, recovering from my momentary shock. "I'm sorry, where were you?"

"Nowhere, really," Bella said, nonchalantly. "Carlisle, would you...would you read one? You know to- to the baby. He hasn't heard you talk much and I want him to know his grandpa Carlisle when he comes out." She grinned at me and I wouldn't have been surprised if I had blushed, touched as I was by her sentiment. I put the anthology aside, already having though of which one I would recite.

"_Little Lamb, who made thee?"_

Bella grinned; obviously this was a familiar piece to her.

"_Dost thou know who made thee?  
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed,  
By the stream and o'er the mead; _ - on poor little innocent deer."

Bella chuckled at my addition, and I went on.

"_Gave thee clothing of delight,  
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;"_

"Alice," Bella snorted wearily, this time making me chuckle even though her eyes had nearly closed again. Struck by the melancholy and serious of her illness all over again, I whispered the rest of the poem with a tight throat and heavy heart.

"_Gave thee such a tender voice,  
Making all the vales rejoice?  
Little Lamb, who made thee?  
Dost thou know who made thee? _

_Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,  
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee.  
He is called by thy name,  
For He calls Himself a Lamb.  
He is meek, and He is mild;  
He became a little child.  
I a child, and thou a lamb,  
We are called by His name.  
Little Lamb, God bless thee!"_

Esme:

Carlisle's recitation of the familiar poem trailed as I approached him, by Bella's bedside, in the living room. Standing behind him, I put a hand on his shoulder.__

"Little Lamb, God bless thee," I finished. Silent, he placed one of his own hands on top of mine, his expression troubled. I frowned, shifting my gaze to Bella's unnaturally pale – almost greenish – face, hallowed out and resting in the sleep of the dead; her only signal of life now being her struggling heartbeat and the feverish whimpers and moans that passed her lips occasionally. Seeing her so empty and lifeless and vulnerable, after watching her find her balance and her strengths over the past few years, nearly made me cry.

"Oh Carlisle," I nearly sobbed. "Is Bella going to be okay?" I felt so guilty all of a sudden; so absolutely terrible. I had talked Carlisle out of aborting Bella's pregnancy and now, because of my coercion, she might die! Oh Bella, oh Edward, oh Charlie – I hope they forgive me!

"Esme, Esme," Carlisle soothed; "I cannot tell you what will or will not be. But we mustn't give up. We have not been beaten yet. Bella is strong; she may get through this after all."

"And yet, I cannot help but fear there is a predator haunting the shadows," I confessed, thinking of _The Lamb_'s darker partner poem, _The Tyger. _It seems I wasn't the only one; Edward chose that moment to stalk into the room, murmuring under his breath;

"_...When the stars threw down their spears,  
And watered heaven with their tears,  
Did he smile his work to see?  
Did he who made the Lamb make thee? _

_Tyger! Tyger! burning bright  
In the forests of the night,  
What immortal hand or eye  
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?"_


	54. The Renegades

**AN ~ I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!**

**Honestly, I do not know what happened to my holidays! I'm already back at school, busy as anything, with exams coming up and everything! Nevertheless, I found myself with some spare time (strangely...maybe I've forgotten something) and so I decided I'd better update something. It sort of had to be Stars because I already have a framework to go on – although, this chap is kind of a patchwork chapter. The plot doesn't really flow but it's too important to leave out and it would be either too short or too rambly to do it separately or try and fill in the gaps in between. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own BD (although, by the time I get around to posting the next chapter, we'll probably have seen the trailer...if not the movie! LOL)**

**I'm sorry it's been too long and this isn't the greatest of chapters to make up for it but it's necessary. I'd say I'd try to post again soon but 'soon' won't be for at least another 2-3 weeks coz I'm SO busy :(**

**My next updates will be on other ffics, and hopefully better than this one.**

**Anyway, I'd better let you get on with it.**

Chapter Fifty Four: The Renegades

Carlisle:

Perhaps it was the eeriness of the moment, but Esme and I jumped when heavy footsteps thudded onto the porch steps.

"Jacob," Edward muttered. Rosalie hissed, flying down the stairs and into the living room.

"Who invited the dog? Tell him to go away. Bella's sleeping," she snapped in a hushed tone. Edward ignored his sister and instead, leaned over Bella and gently kissed her cheek. She mumbled something indiscernible and slowly opened her heavy eyelids.

"Jacob?" she groaned, trying to see past Edward to the door. He took my seat as I got up to answer it. It was amazing how far things had come in the past few months: the wolves and the Cullens had gone from being mutually tolerant enemies to allies, in some cases bordering on friends, to arch-nemeses of the most bitter kind. Jacob, our key to peace at last with the wolves, at least on the subject of Bella's change without an ensuing war, was now perhaps the most likely to tear the eight of us apart one by one.

I pulled the door open, regretting this last realisation, and met the cold black eyes of the wolf pack's true Alpha male.

"Hello Jacob," I greeted. "How are you?"

Pathetic.

His eyes narrowed, but softened; he almost looked sorry for me, as if he wished he didn't want to kill me. There was no doubt Jacob was not supposed to be here; he must have broken at least one of the wolves' laws to come...unless they were waiting. I took a deep breath; of the wolves, I could only smell Jacob fresh and strong. The others were old or far away; no threat to us. Why was Jacob here alone?

"I heard Bella made it back alive," he growled, in answer to my thoughts. He was asking to check on her, I guessed; to make sure she was still human. I sighed. If he saw her now, what had happened to her...None of us were in the state to fight him back.

"Er, Jacob, it's not really the best time," I told him, trying not to look as uncomfortable as I felt. "Could we do this later?"

Jacob was dumbfounded, but again I noticed the slightest hint of pity in those pitch-black eyes of his.

"Carlisle won't let him in, don't worry," Rosalie crooned to Bella, behind us. Jacob twitched, apparently able to hear her.

"Why not?" Bella wheezed. "Are we keeping secrets from Jacob too? What's the point?"

Jacob and I were both frozen, listening to Bella's hoarse words.

"Come in please, Jacob," she croaked a little louder.

I had good mind to refuse - couldn't she feel the tension fraying all our edges? The last thing we needed was a werewolf in the house.

"Excuse me." Jacob stepped around me to get inside. I tried not to make any sudden movements - I knew it went against all his instincts to turn his back to a vampire – as he side-stepped into the house, alert and watching for any oncoming attack. The rest of the family was gathered in a group by the lounge, and Bella's weakly smiling face looked up at Jake from the couch.

The entire family watched, hovering on our toes, ready to attack, as Jacob took a few steps forward. He ignored Rosalie when she moved in the way. He ignored our eyes, tracking him, as he walked around the back of the couch and held Bella's fragile hand.

"Bella, what's wrong? Are you all right?" Jacob asked.

"I'm glad you came to see me today, Jacob." Bella smiled weakly. She knew she might not have enough time left to see him again. Edward gave an agonised moan, and Bella gently stroked his cheek with pale fingers.

"What is it, Bella?" Jacob pressed, squeezing her hand.

Bella's eyes scanned the room, then rested on Rose.

"Help me up, Rose?" she asked. Rosalie realised what Bella wanted, and raised her lips in a snarl.

"Please, Rose," Bella begged.

"No, don't get up," Jacob whispered, awed, staring at Bella's sickly form.

"I'm answering your question," Bella snapped, with some of the ferocity and spirit I recognised, as Rosalie moved to help her up. The blankets fell away, revealing her swollen belly. The rest of us waited in anxious silence for Jacob to react.

He stared for a long while – maybe trying to comprehend it, maybe trying out different battle scenarios in his head - but suddenly Edward jumped to his feet.

"Outside, Jacob," he snarled.

"Let's do this," Jacob agreed.

Emmett and Jasper moved forward to help Edward, but Jacob wasn't fazed. I glanced at Esme, and Alice glanced at me, all of us worried. If one of them killed Jacob, the pack would attack. If they didn't, he would kill them.

"No," Bella choked, with surprising authority, moving forward to clutch Edward's arm.

"I only need to talk to him, Bella," Edward told her gently. He touched her cheek carefully, and Jacob's evenly pounding heart sped up; his blood running faster in his fury.

"Don't strain yourself," Edward crooned to his love. "Please rest. We'll both be back in just a few minutes."

"Behave," she insisted, trying to follow Jacob's eyes as she fell back onto the couch. "And then come back."

.o.o.o.

Carlisle: 

Jacob and Edward did end up returning alive and well, but the next morning, we had another scare. It was still dark. Esme and I had been out hunting, trying to enjoy a moment of peace. Jacob had taken the news astonishingly well, and it seemed the pack weren't planning on attacking. It wasn't saying much, but things were starting to look up.

That is, until my cell rung.

_"Carlisle!"_ Emmett and Jasper called before I could get a word out. I heard slaps and cracks as they battled for the speaker. Jasper won, apparently.

_"Carlisle, we have a problem…the pack is coming. It's real bad, they've found out about Bella."_

Esme snatched the cell out of my hand before I could even think up a response.

"Jazz, be careful and for God's sake don't let Emmett go out to meet them!" she ordered. "We're coming. Twenty minutes, tops. Look after your brothers!"  
She flipped the phone shut, shoved it into her pocket and disappeared into the trees. I was by her side, matching stride-for-stride, until suddenly we both screeched to a stop. The stench was everywhere, surrounding us, closing in.

Wolf.

Esme and I pressed against each other, back to back, ready for the attack, but it didn't come. Instead, a gangly fourteen-year-old Quileute boy walked out of the trees wearing only a pair of camouflage-brown caudaroy shorts. I jumped, and Esme immediately flipped around.

"Seth!" she gasped.

"Hey Esme, Carlisle," Seth greeted us both as if the three of us had happened to pass on a street corner. I looked around; there were no other signs of a large creature's approach. Now that my shock was over I found myself returning his nonchalant smile.

"You're not going to fight us?" I asked hesitantly; the pack was bent to the Alpha's will, which in this case was undoubtedly to attack.

"Nah," Seth shrugged. "Jake and I ditched. I mean Bella being knocked up is a little freaky and if you ask me, pretty gross, but that doesn't mean Sam has the right to gallivant over here and kill you all."

"Thanks Seth," I said, still a bit uncomfortable at the ease with which Seth spoke of Sam's decision; it was as if they hadn't even had to think about it.

"Gotta go," Seth excused himself at some unseen signal, before phasing back and trotting off into the trees. Remaining wary, in case our next lupus encounter was not so amiable, Esme and I continued home.

The others were in the living room, looking as though we were in a hurricane shelter instead. Far off in the distance, the wolves were moving. A loud yelp made us all stand to attention.

"Brace yourselves," Jasper murmured, slipping smoothly from his seat.

"It was a false alarm," Edward replied emotionlessly. "Seth was upset about something else, and he forgot we were listening for a signal. He's very young."

"Nice to have toddlers guarding the fort," Emmett grumbled, falling out of brace position. Rosalie was already back at Bella's side.

"They've done us a great service tonight, Emmett," I half-heartedly reprimanded him. "At great personal sacrifice."

"Yeah, I know," he sighed. "I'm just jealous. Wish I was out there."

"Seth doesn't think Sam will attack now," Edward continued. "Not with us forewarned, and lacking two members of the pack."

"What does Jacob think?" I asked him.

"He's...not as optimistic."


	55. Interview with the Vampire

**AN ~ Hey guys! It's an extra long chapter today coz I know it's been absolutely ages since I updated any of my twilight fics. It's not the most riveting of chapters, sorry :( It's a bit of a depressing time for the Cullen parents and I am following canon. It gets a bit more active and uplifting next chap though I promise****.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own twilight but I promise I'll try and update my ffics, which I do own, a bit more often!**

**Btw if anyone's interested and hasn't heard I have a Doctor Who fic called Once, Twice, Three Times which is an AU 10Rose fic – you'll get it if you know the show, and more recently a Castle fic called Feeling the Heat...check it out if you can and drop me a review ;)**

Chapter Fifty Five: Interview with the Vampire

Carlisle:

Bella drifted off to sleep eventually, and only then did Edward join me in my study to discuss the wolves' situation. I stared out the window, hoping that the apparent serenity of the outside world would help me think. It wasn't working as well as it usually did.

"I don't like him being around so much," Edward grumbled, "but I won't fight Bella. I can't – not when she's like this."

"You have to admit he's dedicated to her," I put in, reviving my theory as to how to save ourselves and Bella at the same time. This time, though, I was feeling bad about having to exploit Jacob and his relationship with Bella.

"Don't feel bad," Edward objected. "It's about time something came of that relationship. Besides, it will keep her safe. He'll be happy for that. What matters is that we get her through this. There must be _something, _Carlisle. Something you've overlooked."

"I'm _trying_," I promised.

"Are you?" he prodded. I turned from the window, taken aback by the sudden bitterness in his tone. Edward glared at me from his dark corner of the room, growling under his breath.

"Calm down, Edward," I held up my hands peacefully. "I'm not trying to fight you. We're all stressed, and with the wolf pack after us as well, we have a lot to think about. Think of Bella; she needs to be in a calm atmosphere at the moment. We all need a break, especially you. It's too dangerous to hunt with the pack around, but are you sure you shouldn't take some time to yourself..?"

Edward stopped growling, but his expression didn't soften before he turned and ran out of the room. I listened for the sound of the piano, violin, or even radio, but silence remained.

.o.o.o.

Esme:

I worried about Carlisle the second those two disappeared upstairs. Edward has been so tense, and I think Carlisle is going to have to face whatever demons he's been burying in his brooding silence by Bella's side. Downstairs, in an automatic circle of protection around Bella, the rest of us listened anxiously to the tense voices in Carlisle's study. Alice looked miserable. Jasper looked like uncomfortable. I was restless; Carlisle is a strong man, but over the years of Bella being in our family, both immensely happy and highly stressful times have shaken his anchored personality. Especially after my stupid stunt with Victoria, he's been doubting himself at every turn. It only serves to aggravate the situation that Bella is potentially on her deathbed and even though he's facing his area of expertise, he can't do a thing. Ever since his change in 1918, Edward has had the power to please or hurt his father with a single word, and as the minutes ticked by and the voices upstairs increased in intensity, I began to fidget in my seat, contemplating interrupting.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice give me a nod. Needing no more invitation, I ran up the stairs, only to practically bowl Edward over. He snarled but, when he saw it was me, apologised under his breath and disappeared.

Flustered, I turned to the door of Carlisle's study. It was hanging open and I could see Carlisle leaning against the bookshelf beside his window, as still and pale as corpse in the moonlight.

"Is everything okay, sweetheart?" I asked, trying to be as gentle as possible as I could almost see the cracks of weariness appearing in his shimmering skin as he stood up to face me. He didn't say a thing, but held out his arms as though he hadn't seen me for years. I rushed forward to fill them and felt his weight collapse onto me.

Together we slid down the bookshelf to the floor. We kissed or ran our fingers through the other's hair when the desire overcame us, but it seemed we were only there for a few minutes before the room was full of sunlight and birdsong. Carlisle kissed the top of my head and took a deep breath with his nose in my hair, then sighed it into the air and took another deep breath, his eyes closed. He seemed more at peace, but I could feel the tenseness in his shoulders and see the creases in his face that warned me this was far from over.

I stood up first, and walked to the window, where I saw Jacob's now familiar reddish shape make his way towards the front door.

"Jake's coming," I warned Carlisle. "Edward shouldn't talk to him. He'll tear the boy apart."

"I'll do it," Carlisle decided. He glanced around the room at the abandoned medical apparatus and added; "It's not like I'm much use around here anyway."

Before I could object, Carlisle was out the door and headed downstairs to meet Jacob.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

"Are you all right, Jacob?" I asked, shutting the door on Edward and Rosalie as they continued to argue about Jake's presence here. I tried to keep the exhaustion and frustration out of my voice: it wasn't Jake's fault...though it would be easier for everyone if he didn't keep turning up.

"Is Bella-?" he choked, stunned at my sudden appearance.

"She's…much the same as last night," I said. "Did I startle you? I'm sorry. Edward said you were coming in your human form, and I came out to greet you, as he didn't want to leave her. She's awake." Well, that was the simple version I had picked up on my way down the stairs between Edward and Rosalie's insults and Bella's objections.

Jacob, his surprise collapsing into exhaustion, retreated to the porch steps and slumped against the railing. I came quietly down to sit beside the opposite railing. There was a moment of silence only a heartbeat long before I decided to speak.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you last night, Jacob," I started. "You don't know how much I appreciated your compassion. I know your goal was to protect Bella, but I owe you the safety of the rest of my family as well. Edward told me what you had to do -"

"Don't mention it," Jacob mumbled. Feeling that same door slam in my face which had put a barrier between us after the fight with the newborns, I abruptly cut myself off.

"If you prefer."

Just like that, the silence was back, and now we could hear the voices inside. I watched the grain dance through the wood of the steps as I listened to Esme's tuneless humming, Emmett, Alice and Jasper's hushed voices, and Rosalie and Edward's breathing. At least it was a change from the fighting. Over all that, much louder, were Bella's breaths, scraping in and out of her sickly chest, and her irregular heartbeats, stumbling and failing. Between them, the child's heart beat like the staggering footsteps of a bird which had just flown into a window. The sound of it twisted an invisible knife in my chest.

"She's family to you, then?" Jacob asked after what seemed like hours, although his heart had only beat a handful of times.

"Yes," I told him, smiling a little to myself as I recalled her and Edward dancing on their wedding day, in a perfect world of their own, as though the rest of us had been looking through glass. "Bella is already a daughter to me. A beloved daughter."

"But you're going to let her die."

Jake was only trying to pinpoint my reasoning, but it brought the images of perfection crashing down around me. I hung my head.

"I can't imagine what you must think of me for that." Shame burned through my veins like venom. I tried to make myself look at Jacob, but in the end I just looked back at my knees in front of me. "But I can't ignore her will. It wouldn't be right to make such a choice for her. To force her."

"Do you think there's any chance she'll make it?" Jacob asked hesitantly. "I mean, as a vampire and all that. She told me about…about Esme."

"I'd say there's an even chance at this point," I replied quietly. Even I wasn't sure whether that was good news or bad news. "I've seen vampire venom work miracles, but there are conditions that even venom cannot overcome. Her heart is working too hard now; if it should fail…there won't be anything for me to do."

"What is that thing doing to her?" Jacob asked in a hushed voice, as if he were afraid to speak any louder. "She was so much worse last night. I saw…the tubes and all that. Through the window."

"The foetus isn't compatible with her body," I explained. "Too strong, for one thing, but she could probably endure that for a while. The bigger problem is that it won't allow her to get the sustenance she needs. Her body is rejecting every form of nutrition. I'm trying to feed her intravenously, but she's just not absorbing it. Everything about her condition is accelerated. I'm watching her – and not just her but the foetus as well – starve to death by the hour. I can't stop it and I can't slow it down. I can't figure out what it _wants."_

My weary voice broke at the end of my little speech. My hands were shaking, so I put them together. I wished I was back at Esme's side, feeling her gentle caresses and knowing that in her eyes I could never fail. Out here I felt bare, listening to Jacob's breaths wheezing in and out of his chest as he tried to calm himself. I took a deep breath, trying to listen to the strong, even thudding of his heart instead of Bella's wild pulse.

"I wish I could get a better idea of what exactly it is," I muttered. "The foetus is well protected. I haven't been able to produce an ultrasonic image. I doubt there is any way to get a needle through the amniotic sac, but Rosalie won't let me try in any case."

"A needle?" Jacob wondered. "What good would that do?"

"The more I know about the foetus, the better I can estimate what it will be capable of," I explained. It felt better to teach...at least then, I felt like I knew _something. _"What I wouldn't give for even a little amniotic fluid. If I knew even the chromosomal count…"

"You're losing me, Doc," Jacob interrupted. "Can you dumb it down?"

I chuckled dryly; I was known to disappear into medical talk when considering such things as this, but my family could usually keep up. To be fair, many of them had a medical degree's advantage over Jacob.

"Okay," I started over, finally managing to look at him. "How much biology have you taken? Have you done chromosomal pairs?"

"Think so," Jake replied. "We have twenty three, right?"

"Humans do," I corrected.

Jacob blinked, shocked.

"How many do you have?"

"Twenty five," I told him.

"What does that mean?" he asked, frowning down at his fists.

"I thought it meant our species were almost completely different. Less related than a lion and a house cat. But this new life – well, it suggests that we're much more genetically compatible than I'd thought." I sighed and looked back at my legs. "I didn't know how to warn them."

Jacob sighed too, as if he wished he could hate me. I wished he could too: then at least someone would feel about myself the way I did. Rosalie hated me for trying to intervene, but it wasn't the same as hating myself for staying out of the way. Edward had gone past hatred now; I didn't even matter, I was just a figure in the background of his own private hell. The others were trying to tell me it wasn't my fault, which was making me feel even worse, if that were possible.

"It might help to know what the count was – whether the foetus as closer to us or her. To know what to expect." I shrugged and sighed, facing the reality of it. "And maybe it wouldn't help anything. I guess I just wish I had something to study, anything to do."

"Wonder what my chromosomes are like," Jacob muttered to himself. I shifted my seat and coughed self-consciously, wondering if he would be angry…but there was no point keeping secrets from Jake now.

"You have twenty four pairs, Jacob," I confessed.

Jacob slowly turned to stare at me, eyebrows raised.

"I was…curious," I admitted sheepishly. "I took the liberty while I was treating you last June."

"I guess that should piss me off," Jake said, after thinking about it for a moment. "But I don't really care."

"I'm sorry. I should have asked."

"S'okay, Doc. You didn't mean any harm."

"No, I promise you that I did _not _mean you any harm," I assured him. "It's just that…I find your species fascinating. I suppose the elements of vampiric nature have become commonplace to me over the centuries. Your family's divergence from humanity is much more interesting. Magical, almost."

"Bibbidi-bobbiti-boo," Jacob mumbled. I had to laugh.


	56. Hope

**AN ~HELLO! I am alive isn't it great? It's been forever since I updated this story but coz I just couldn't bear schoolwork any longer, and yesterday I watched a new BD clip featuring Carlisle, Esme and Jacob, I decided to write another chap! I was going to have a Carlisle/Esme moment but due to where I left it last time I could not. Hopefully soon.**

**Disclaimer: Breaking Dawn is not mine. But I can name all the books in French. Fascination Temptation Hesitation Revelation. Bam.**

Chapter Fifty Six: Hope

Edward's voice interrupted our silence this time: both Jacob and I poised to listen.

"I'll be right back, Bella," he said. "I just want to speak with Carlisle for a moment. Actually, Rosalie, would you mind accompanying me?"

I twisted to face the door, so that I was watching when first Edward and then Rosalie burst through the door. Edward seemed determined to speak whatever was on his mind. Rosalie glanced over her shoulder and proceeded to glare with suspicion at her brother.

"Carlisle," Edward murmured, the shadow of hope dancing in his eyes.

"What is it, Edward?" I encouraged.

"Perhaps we've been going about this the wrong way," he said. "I was listening to you and Jacob just now, and when you were speaking of what the…fetus wants, Jacob had an interesting thought.

"We haven't addressed _that_angle. We've been trying to get Bella what she needs. And her body is accepting it about as well as one of ours would. Perhaps we should address the needs of the…fetus…first. Maybe if we could satisfy it, we'll be able to help her more effectively."

"I'm not following you, Edward," I told him, trying to find the angle of his logic. Surely feeding the fetus would make it stronger and therefore _more_dangerous to Bella's failing form.

"Think about it, Carlisle," Edward prodded. "If that creature is more vampire than human, can't you guess what it craves – what it's not getting? Jacob did."

Edward watched me as realisation dawned. It was so obvious! And yet, it was so horrible it would never have occurred to us except at our moment of greatest desperation.

"You think it's…thirsty?"

Rosalie's face lit up.

"Of course," she muttered. "Carlisle, we have all that type O negative laid aside for Bella…it's a good idea." Of course, she was not willing to credit Jacob.

"Hmm…I wonder…" I thought over it, over just how much a risk we were taking with this. It could be detrimental to Bella's very fragile health, not to mention warp her psychologically. But then…Bella was running out of options: she would very likely die if we didn't do this. _But__then,__how__would__we__administer__it?__It's__not__like__there__are__pills__for__this__sort__of__thing..._

"We don't have time to be creative. I'd say we should start with the traditional way."

"Wait a minute. Just hold on." Apparently, Jacob had just caught up with proceedings. "Are you- are you talking about making Bella drink _blood?__"_

"It was your idea, dog," Rosalie scoffed.

Drinking it? That just seemed barbaric. Surely there must be a better way…a needle, perhaps, like a blood transfusion…

"What do you think, Carlisle?" Rosalie demanded, bouncing impatiently and glancing anxiously back toward the living room once more. "Can we try?"

"We'll ask Bella," I concluded. Neither Edward nor Rosalie would force Bella to do something she didn't want to; that was how I ended up in the middle of this mess in the first place.

We disappeared inside, Jacob following at a slow walk, and I tried to ignore Bella's failing heart as she shifted to look at us.

"What's going on?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Jacob had an idea that might help you," I started. "It won't be…pleasant, but-"

"But it will help the baby," Rosalie interrupted eagerly. "We've found a better way to feed him. Maybe."

I felt like kicking her, just to get her to stop feeding Bella's delusions. We had absolutely no idea what this would do to the girl, and yet Rosalie was insistent on leading poor Bella into false hopes so far above anything realistic it was very likely she was wrong. Not to mention the facts that Rose had omitted: making Bella drink blood could very likely kill her and make the baby stronger.

"Not pleasant?" Bella said, chuckling weakly. "Gosh, that'll be such a change." She coughed out another laugh, and Rose laughed with her. Edward's face didn't even flinch as he stepped around Rosalie and took Bella's hand.

"Bella, love, we're going to ask you to do something monstrous," he told her gently. "Repulsive."

"How bad?" she rasped.

"We think the fetus might have an appetite closer to ours than to yours," I told her. "We think it's thirsty."

Bella stared at me.

"Oh. _Oh.__"_

"Your condition – both of your conditions – are deteriorating rapidly. We don't have any time to waste, to come up with more palatable ways to do this." I had to admit Rosalie was right on that point. "The fastest way to test the theory-"

"I've got to drink it," Bella choked. She nodded – only just perceptible – and tried to smile. "I can do that. Practice for the future, right?"

Rosalie started tapping her toe impatiently. I wish Esme would do something – if I tried, I would probably throw poor Rose through a wall.

"So who's going to catch me a grizzly bear?" Bella joked.

_It__was__a__joke,__right?_I glanced at Edward.

"What?" Bella asked, looking from Edward to me and back again.

"It will be a more effective test if we don't cut corners, Bella," I told her.

"_If_the fetus is craving blood, it's not craving animal blood," Edward explained.

I suddenly felt…dirty. Truly horribly monstrous. To force this poor _human_girl to drink more human blood than I – the three-hundred-and-sixty-four-year-old _vampire_ – had drunk in my entire existence…it was vile.

"It won't make a difference to you, Bella," Rosalie assured her. "Don't think about it."

Bella's eyes widened.

"Who?" she breathed, eyes flickering to Jacob.

"I'm not here as a donor, Bells," Jake grumbled. "'Sides, it's human blood that thing's after, and I don't think mine applies-"

"We have blood on hand," Rosalie told Bella, as if Jacob hadn't even spoken. Like he wasn't even there. "For you – just in case. Don't worry about a thing at all. It's going to be fine. I have a good feeling about this, Bella. I think the baby will be so much better."

Esme was watching the proceedings with concern, but she remained silent, looking instead to Bella for the verdict.

"Well, _I__'__m_starving, so I'll bet he is too," Bella resolved. The joke died in the humourless room, but her enthusiasm did not. "Let's go for it. My first vampire act."

.o.o.o.

"We could try another method," I said quietly, almost unable to bear the cruelty we were about to enforce on poor Bella. The doctor's voice in my head was listing reasons this was a horrible crime against nature: _mad__cow__disease,__blood__poisoning__…_I told myself to shut up. Edward didn't need to hear a new list of ways Bella could die because of this.

"No," Bella objected. "No, I'll try this first. We don't have time…" She took the cup from me with trembling hands, and the blood sloshed against the edges.

Rosalie helped support Bella so that she could half-sit up. The room was all but empty – the wolves' starvation blockade was beginning to take effect and so only Rose, Edward, Jacob and I had stayed with Bella for this twisted experiment.

Bella lifted the cup and sniffed at the end of the straw. She made a face – I was not surprised.

"Bella, sweetheart, we can find an easier way," Edward crooned, reaching out for the cup. He fought to keep his voice steady as pain ripped through him.

"Plug your nose," Rosalie suggested bluntly.

"No, it's not that," Bella explained weakly. "It's just that it…it smells good," she admitted in a small voice. Jacob's heart skipped a beat, and he swallowed hard. Edward looked wounded, but Rose was thrilled.

"That's a good thing," she encouraged. "That means we're on the right track. Give it a try."

Bella took the straw between her lips and squeezed her eyes shut. Her shaking hand made the blood slosh around the cup as she took a sip. She moaned quietly, and Edward and Jacob immediately came forward. Edward touched Bella's face gently, and Jacob clenched his hands behind his back. I was doing the same, forcing myself to stay back, to refrain from snatching the cup away from Bella and insist on some other method.

Bella's heartbeats began to steady out, and despite my crawling skin, the slightest of smiles crept onto my face.

"I'm okay," Bella whispered, staring up at Edward. Her face was apologetic but scared, her hand still shaking and the breath still wheezing in and out of her chest. "It _tastes_good too."

"That's good," Rosalie said eagerly. "A good sign."

Bella took a bigger mouthful of blood, as driven as any of us would be. I was torn between disgust and fascination.

"How's your stomach?" I inquired. "Do you feel nauseated?"

I was making a mental checklist in my head, to soothe the part of me that kept insisting Bella was going to die of some horrible blood disease.

"No, I don't feel sick – there's a first, eh?" she replied.

"Excellent," Rosalie concluded, beaming.

"I think it's a bit early for that, Rose," I murmured, but I didn't have the heart to scold her. I needed all the hope I could get. I retreated to the back of the room to observe.

"I did it," Bella announced. The strength of her voice caught me off guard; the first words that had been louder than a weak choking. "If I keep this down, Carlisle, will you take the needles out of me?"

"As soon as possible," I vowed, that slight smile taking over now. "Honestly, they aren't doing much good where they are."

"Would you like more?" Rosalie pressed. Bella's shoulders slumped, and Edward shot a glare at Rosalie.

"You don't have to drink more right away," he told her.

"Yeah, I know. But…I _want_to," Bella admitted, sounding guilty.

"You don't need to be embarrassed about that, Bella," Rosalie crooned, running her fingers through Bella's filthy, knotted hair. "Your body has cravings. We all understand that – anyone who doesn't shouldn't be here."

I watched Jacob from the corner of my eye, curious but not wanting to make him feel like he was under surveillance. His mocha-brown skin had taken on a sickly bluish-green tinge, and the usual temperature radiating from him had dropped a few degrees. He was disgusted – and I couldn't blame him – but he was relieved. And I had another reason to thank the true Quileute Alpha.


	57. Endurance

**AN ~ Despite Bella's increasing health, the problems are only beginning for the rest of the Cullen family. In this chap we see the thirst that has snuck up on the Cullens throughout their hunting ban. It highlights the cracks in the Cullen family unit and how they continue to hang onto the hope of reaching some kind of relief. **

**Disclaimer: Breaking Dawn is not mine and IT COMES OUT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF EXAMS! WHY?**

Chapter Fifty Seven: Endurance

Esme:

I baulked when Carlisle entered the room with a cup of blood. Like the string-pull on a hot air balloon I was suddenly, cruelly reminded of just how thirsty I was. Instantly, my thoughts jumped to Jasper. He had scarcely come downstairs in the last few days, ever since the wolves' barricade stopped us from hunting.

Jasper was pacing the attic one end to the other when I arrived, his shoulders squared as if he carried a heavy load, wringing his hands and gnashing his teeth anxiously. Alice sat on a crate off to the side, watching him with sad eyes. I pulled up one beside her and she turned to me immediately.

"Esme, we have to hunt," she said in a soft voice, but one more solemn and demanding than I had heard pass her lips in a long time. "Jasper's getting worried. When Carlisle opened that packet..." Her tone dropped even further. "I don't want to see what will happen if Bella delivers and we're all like this. You're feeling the pinch too, aren't you?" 

"Just now," I admitted, putting a hand to my throat.

Jasper slumped down on the ground, leaning against my crate so, with what looked like great pain, he could take Alice's hand in his.

"Sometimes," he murmured. "Sometimes I think I've got it all under control, and then something happens and I just...don't."

"Don't blame yourself, sweetheart," I crooned, running my fingers through his hair. "We all understand what you're going through."

"Carlisle doesn't," he grumbled back. "It hasn't occurred to him yet, how thirsty we are."

"Don't get mad at your father," I reprimanded. "He's trying. He's had a lot on his mind lately."

Jasper laughed dryly and shook his head.

"I _wish_I'd had a lot on my mind. All I can think is _thirst_and _blood._"

"I know, Jasper. I know what it feels like. You're okay; you'll get through this. You're a brave boy." I leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

"You have to say that; you're my mother," he rebuked. "But yes, I am being too hard on Carlisle. The man's getting torn apart down there. In fact, I think Carlisle needs to feed more than the rest of us."

"What do you mean? He's fine. He was with Bella just now; he'd never put her at that risk. Nor himself."

"His concentration is decreasing," Alice pointed out, a faint tremor in her voice betraying how concerned she was for her father's well-being. "He should have thought of this solution by now. He should be fifty steps ahead. He should have mediated Edward and Rosalie's issues, got Jake on side and put Bella on an IV. He should be able to do it, and you know it Esme. How long has it been since he last went hunting?"

"Well, it was..." I thought back. It was before the wolves put their patrol in place, of course. I think it was even before Bella had become couch-bound. In fact, come to think of it, I don't think Carlisle had hunted since Bella called, thinking she was pregnant, and we had a fight. Even then, it had only been a deer on the way home.

"He's less certain of himself, too," Jasper added. "Much less. And sometimes his thoughts swing towards aggression. He has a very passive personality usually – I'm concerned that he hasn't noticed the signs in himself."

I entwined my fingers in each other and stared at them, intent on the patterns I was making as I pondered what my insightful children were saying. For Carlisle to deny his own problems was not unheard of; perhaps he was so bent on helping Bella he had forgotten himself, or perhaps he was convinced that if he could just hang on that little bit longer, everything would turn out.

"What difference does it make now?" I decided in the end. "He still cannot leave. We must trust his judgement and have faith in ourselves and in him. An answer will arise. Until then – we've endured worse. None of us are newborns any more, and there has been fresh blood spilled in this house which none of us touched. The wolves are trying to do this; doubt ourselves, weaken our wills, start a fight. We must show them that we are as devoted to protecting Bella as they are. We do that by holding on, and keeping to our principles for as long and longer as our endurance is necessary. The end will come – until then, we must stand united."

"Spoken like a true Great War wife," Jasper credited. "Rallying support on the home front."

His words were punctuated by the _dum__da-da__dum_of Jacob's paws hitting the boards of the porch.Now that our guest was gone and I had control over my thirst, I returned downstairs to Carlisle's side. His eyes were black as pitch as he watched Edward's solemn expression, but our son looked much worse. Whether Carlisle was subconsciously damaging himself or not, we _all_needed to get out and get fed as soon as possible.

"Hear hear," Edward murmured. Carlisle held one arm away from his body, his eyes still fixed on Edward even as I settled into the warm embrace – all the warmer for being nothing more than the natural curve of his arm as he instinctively drew me close to his body. As I stood there by his side, I pondered what Jasper had said: _like__a__true__Great__War__wife._

Many people these days believe women of 'my era' were somehow coerced into staying at home with the children and forced into obeying their husbands. Speaking from my own experience I can say that many education and career paths were strongly discouraged for women, even teaching positions, and that most of us were not educated enough to put up a fight. Especially those from Southern farming states like Ohio. That I will concede. However, something I believe history has corrupted is the loyalty of a wife to her husband. I confess, my relationship with Charles was probably the shortest-lived dream in the history of the world, except perhaps Rose's, yet I could not escape him except through the most drastic measures – but I never claimed that all husbands and wives loved each other. It is our _loyalty_which, I believe, won the war in the end. Our direct paths to protecting our country - our sons and brothers and husbands, sisters, daughters and mothers alike – were blocked to us, and so we protected what we had always protected: our homes. We got jobs to keep the factories running, and to keep food on the table. We saved and sewed clothes and made-do and most of all, we were always there for our men to lean on when they struggled.

Men are not, contrary to popular belief, more prone to aggression than women. My dangerous enthusiasm to hunt Victoria compared to Carlisle's potentially costly inaction will tell you that. Asking a man to be shipped away from his family to kill other young men with lives and families is no easy feat. They struggled. Just as Edward and Carlisle and Jasper and Jacob struggle now. Sometimes, there is nothing they need more than for someone to stand beside them: to suffer what they suffer and to remind them that they are not alone.

"Thank you, Esme," Edward murmured, capturing me with his onyx eyes for a moment before he diverted his attention again.

"What's going on?" Carlisle asked. Edward frowned and tilted his head.

"The wolves are calling a truce."

Hallelujiah.


	58. Shards of Serenity

**AN ~ OMG JUST WATCHED BREAKING DAWN...INTENSE! I'll say nothing more...except that I can't believe we have to wait a whole freaking YEAR for the second half!**

**Disclaimer: Breaking Dawn is not mine. Three Pods left over from the movie are.**

Chapter Fifty Eight: Shards of Serenity

Esme:

Edward relayed information from the wolves' conference to Carlisle, and Bella strained to watch them as I fussed with her blankets and monitors. I was in and out of the kitchen at the same time, making breakfast for the wolves – however many of them may want it.

"The La Push pack is going to wait for Bella to be…separated from the problem," I caught Edward saying to Carlisle as I tucked Bella's blankets around her. Simultaneously, as if they were the same being, their eyes flickered towards us and away again.

"What's going on?" Bella croaked, her voice almost right against my ear.

"Jake's going to phase," Edward continued, loud enough for Bella to hear. "Leah's circling the perimeter…Jared wants Jake to come home. He says no, he doesn't belong there any more. He says he's protecting those who deserve protection – us included…though he's not sure about Rosalie." He gave one dry chuckle, but Rose growled quietly and muttered: "stupid dog."

"Jared wants Seth back – Seth says no, he knows what he's doing. Leah's coming back…she won't leave her brother. Ouch – Jared pissed off Leah. She's expressing that she belongs where ever she expletive, expletive wants to be."

We could hear the yowls and snarls all the way from here. I felt a pang of guilt, thinking of the sacrifices they had made for us, all the fights we had caused, and shot into the kitchen to check the cinnamon scrolls and tell myself I wasn't a bad person.

I pulled the tray out of the oven and set it on the bench. I heard a few tiny cracks when the hot metal met the cold marble, and felt a sudden urge to check that my hands were not falling apart. I braced my arms against the bench, and took a deep breath of stuffy cinnamon air. I was trembling. I was weak.

I looked out the doorway to where Bella lay on the couch, black and blue and boney. I remembered, with a painful sting, when that had been me. A growl built up in my throat, and I felt the unfamiliar urge to do violence to something. _Anything._

I squeezed the bench top, trying to control my rage. These random surges of negative emotion had not struck me so hard since 1941. I could not remember a time I had shared my house with Alice and Jasper and been this thirsty. Bella's cup lay on the sink. It had fallen over, and was letting precious blood spill away...drop by drop...

_No._

If I so much as _touched_that, I would lose it. I would lose myself to the mind of a predator. Who knows; I may even forget it was Bella lying on that couch, or that she was Edward's whole world, or that Real Esme would rather die than kill someone who trusted her so. And I would lose the privilege, and the right, to call the wolves my allies and Carlisle my soul.

I shut my eyes, and tried to block out my other senses. It was easier underwater, to meditate like this. Instead, I felt the faintest puff of wind against my skin, tossing my skirt and hair just enough to stop my frozen form becoming a statue.

"Esme," his soft voice murmured in my ear. "Stay with me, sweetheart." I felt his hand on mine, easing my fingers off the marble and turning me around to face him. He hugged me right up against him, so that my nose was all but in the folds of his shirt.

I kept my eyes shut, but my growl ceased. My hands were no longer shaking. I felt solid inside my skin. I felt civilised inside my clothes. I felt like myself in Carlisle's arms. I sighed.

"I'm so sorry," Carlisle breathed against the top of my head, rocking gently from side to side.

"No, I'm okay," I mumbled back.

"You're not," Carlisle objected in a matching tone. He stroked my cheekbone with a finger, beckoning me to look up at him. I did so, and his hand fell to mine. My breath caught.

"Esme." His voice was scarcely louder than a breath, laden with a million emotions even Jasper could not untangle. "I know you will always be here for me. I believe that with everything I am...though sometimes I may forget it. Right now, I need you to tell me something."

"Anything," I vowed.

"Are you just as scared as I am?"

.

His question hung in the air. Breath shuddered out of me as I felt the weight of this conversation settle over us. We hadn't talked like this, so heavily open, since just after the battle with the newborns, and the death of Bree Tanner.

"Jasper's getting edgy," I warned him. My voice sounded more like a whimper. "Alice too. I don't know how Edward and Rose can stand it Carlisle. We're losing it in here. Just now, I thought I might...that I might..."

It was too horrible to mention. I physically could not force the words over my tongue.

"Shhh," Carlisle soothed. "This is not easy. Everyone is doing wonderfully. Actually, part of me wishes Aro was here, just so I could show him that we are no weaker than he is."

A shiver ran through me at the mention of the Volturi leader. I couldn't imagine their presence here. In a home of humans and werewolves and animal-drinkers. In _my_home.

"You haven't told him about any of this, have you?" I asked.

"Only that Bella is married, and will soon be joining us," Carlisle confessed. We both looked towards Bella's lifeless form, her heartbeat strengthened a little by the blood, serving as a metronome to measure our silence.

"N-nothing about the wolves, right?" 

"Never. Our warm-blooded sons are safe." Carlisle smiled sweetly down at me, and for a moment the happiness on his face, secure in the knowledge that he could make that promise to me, drowned out my thirst, my fear, my doubt. It felt like a dream...no, like a memory. A memory of when things were perfect between us and around us: before the danger and the fights and always being on our toes, ready and willing to die for Bella Swan.

But in this house, security is as fickle and short-lived as the life of a flower: one moment beautiful, the next shriveled and cracked.

Literally.

"Bella, what happened?" Carlisle was already headed for her.

"Give me a second, Carlisle," Bella panted.

"Bella, I heard something crack. I need to take a look."

Reality was back.


	59. Progress

**AN ~ If any of you watch Doctor Who I have a 10Rose AU fic and now I am beginning a collection of River Song (Doctor/River) oneshots. I would LOVE it if you could check them out. :)**

**For the twilighters: I am still working on the next chapter of Life is Harder, but I promise it is coming soon! Also, depending on a bunch of stuff, I might get another Wise Old Iron Lady tale up by New Years. Maybe ON New Years! Plus, don't forget my Cullenised Christmas Carols: suggestions very VERY much welcome! XD**

Chapter Fifty Nine: Progress

Nothing came of Bella's broken rib, but since my close call in the kitchen I was much more wary about my proximity to her. It was no wonder Jasper had kept to the attic for the past few days. Luckily, I could surround myself with the scents of the kitchen: I occupied myself by making as much breakfast as possible, encouraged by Bella's comments about it not going to waste. As he bustled back and forth between the living room and his office, where Edward was waiting to do research that might help us learn about what the child would become, and how to get Bella through it, Carlisle helpfully put in that with the wolves' high metabolism, and particularly with their lack of sleep of late, a large breakfast would be good.

"And how do you know so much about their metabolism?" I queried, raising an eyebrow suspiciously at him. He stopped in the doorway of the kitchen and smiled bashfully, as if he had been caught out on this before.

"While I was treating Jacob, I took a blood sample. I ran a number of tests on it and I've learned a lot. Shifting back and forth burns a lot of energy, not to mention the amount of running they do. If they don't eat as wolves, they're going to need an awful lot of breakfast."

"Most important meal of the day," I added with a grin. The amount of human trivia we had picked up over the years never failed to surprise me. "Speaking of sleep...where is Jacob? I hope he knows he's welcome to the beds."

"I don't think he wants to use the beds, sweetheart. They'll smell like us, remember?"

"Oh yes." And I realised all this food was going to smell like me too. I looked at the floor for a moment, then huffed and returned my eyes to Carlisle's face. "Get Jake a pillow, will you then, before you and Edward bury yourselves in books again?"

"Already done," Carlisle assured me.

"How's the research coming?" I asked. Carlisle frowned.

"Not...uh...not the best," he murmured. "We'll find something though. I promise."

"I know you will, honey."

He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek before leaving me to my cinnamon scrolls and bacon. I opened the windows, letting the smell of it all drift out to our courageous guard. A few seconds later, the scruffy sandy wolf – the youngest – Seth, was bounding across the yard. He disappeared around the side of the house and, a few moments later, returned to the already open front door.

"Hey Mrs C," he greeted me as I shut the door behind him.

"Good morning, Seth," I greeted back.

"I see Jake crashed," Seth noted aloud. 'Crashed' was, I have to say, a very effective term: the poor boy looked like he had simply fallen asleep while standing, and then fallen over, with nothing but a pillow slipped under his head.

"Are you hungry?"

"Hell yeah," Seth grinned enthusiastically, but when he spied Carlisle's cross above the landing he swallowed his words. "Uh, I mean- Wait, hold on, I didn't think-"

"Yes, Carlisle is religious," I told him.

"How do you mean, religious?" Seth asked, still frowning a little. It made me smile, just slightly. Though they thought they knew the truth about the 'cold ones' and had debunked the stakes and garlic, they still held some myths as truth.

"He is Christian. He believes in God. He prays. He tries to follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ as best he can."

Seth's face was twisted. It was a mixture of surprise, disgust and...pride? I wasn't sure. I chose to believe it.

"Don't think about it too hard, pup," Rosalie snapped as she flitted past.

"Don't mind her," I appeased, though it didn't look as though Seth was offended. "Please, sit down, I'll bring you some breakfast."

.o.o.o.

Carlisle POV:

Edward tensed a little when Seth came in. As did I. Despite our rapid improvement in relations with them, especially with Seth, it was still risky to leave one of them downstairs with the rest of us. Especially as Jacob, the Alpha, was sleeping down there too.

"Your cross just blew his mind," Edward informed me with a rye half-smile.

"It seems the wolves are learning more about us as we continue to learn about them," I suggested. "Perhaps Jacob and his relationship to Bella marks a permanent change to our operations in this area."

"Perhaps."

Edward fell silent again, his eyes dropping back to the pages before him, and I opened the laptop and pressed the power button, then picked up the book nearest to me while I waited for it to turn on. But I wasn't thinking about the South American legends. I was thinking about Jasper, and Esme, and Alice with her headaches, and Rose and Edward's blinding determination to stay by Bella's side no matter what. I thought about myself; my lack of certainty and sharpness, and now of focus. I was thirsty: while I couldn't feel the pain of it any more, I recognised the urge to drink and the destruction that urge could do if not properly quelled. The strongest wills, the greatest capacities for suffering, will collapse eventually. With the progression of Bella's pregnancy being what it was, and the inability of anyone to get a safe distance from the house in case of emergency, we needed to drink. _Soon._

"What's Leah having for breakfast?" Jacob asked, his voice just barely muffled by the structure and furnishings between us.

"Hey, I took food to her before I ate _anything._She said she'd rather eat road kill, but I bet she caves. These cinnamon rolls…" Seth finished his sentence by loudly chewing and swallowing another mouthful.

"I'll go hunt with her then," Jacob muttered. Seth sighed as his friend turned to leave, and I realised that this might be my only chance to talk to Jacob before it was begging him to spare my family. I shot downstairs, and caught him just before he left the living room.

"A moment, Jacob?" I asked.

Jacob spun on his heel, trying not to look as bitter as he had sounded earlier.

"Yeah?" he inquired.

"Speaking of hunting...That's going to be an issue for my family. I understand that our previous truce is inoperative at the moment, so I want your advice. Will Sam be hunting for us outside of the perimeter you've created? We don't want to take a chance with hurting any of your family – or losing any of ours. If you were in our shoes, what would you do?"

Jacob leaned back, surprised.

"It's a risk," he said. "Sam's calmed down some, but I'm pretty sure that in his head, the treaty is void. As long as he thinks the tribe, or any other human, is in real danger, he's not going to ask questions first, if you know what I mean. But, with all that, his priority is going to be La Push. There aren't really enough of them to keep a decent watch on the people while putting out hunting parties big enough to do much damage. I bet he's keeping it close to home."

I nodded thoughtfully, taking in his advice and trying to formulate a plan.

"So I guess I'd say go out together, just in case," Jacob advised. "And probably you should go out in the day, 'cause we'd be expecting night. Traditional vampire stuff. You're fast: go over the mountains and hunt far enough away that there's no chance he'd send anyone that far from home."

Emmett looked up, hopeful at the chance to run that far after so long cooped up. But I saw a flaw in the plan.

"And leave Bella behind, unprotected?"

"What are we, chopped liver?" Jacob snorted indignantly. I laughed at his willing spirit, but the gravity of the situation belayed the humour.

"Jacob, you can't fight against your brothers," I told him, wishing I could keep the conversation light: I'd long since had enough of finding ways to avoid death and destruction.

"I'm not saying it wouldn't be hard, but if there were really coming to kill her – I would be able to stop them."

I shook my head, trying to make him understand. "No, I didn't mean that you would be…incapable, but that it would be very wrong," I objected, though I didn't like the odds: two-to-one at best. "I can't have that on my conscience." 

"It wouldn't be on yours, Doc," Jacob rebutted. "It would be on mine. And I can take it."

"No, Jacob. We will make sure that our actions don't make that a necessity."

I frowned, sorting through plans that would or would not work. There was no way I was about to let anyone go alone, but if we went in pairs it would be all too easy to get split up and destroyed. Going in a bigger group, leaving only two or three of us behind would still force the wolves to fight their friends – their brothers, almost.

"We'll go in threes. That's probably the best we can do," I decided.

"I don't know, Doc," Jacob warned. "Splitting down the middle isn't the best strategy."

"We've got some extra abilities that will even it up," I reasoned. "If Edward is one of the three, he'll be able to give us a few miles' radius of safety."

We both glanced at Edward, who was glaring at me with a bitterness that was decidedly against that plan.

"I'm sure there are other ways too," I backtracked quickly. "Alice, I would imagine you could see which routes would be a mistake?"

"The ones that disappear," she replied. "Easy."

Edward loosened up, but now Bella was concerned.

"Okay then, that's settled. I'll just be on my way," Jacob said, glad to have an opportunity to leave. "Seth, I'll expect you to be back on at dusk, so get a nap in there somewhere, all right?"

"Sure, Jake," Seth agreed, though not overly enthusiastic. "I'll phase back as soon as I'm done. Unless…" he hesitated, looking to Bella. "Do you need me?"

"She's got blankets," Jacob snapped at him.

"I'm fine, Seth. Thanks," Bella said.

Esme appeared then, stopping uncertainly just behind my elbow.

"Jacob," she said hesitantly. "I know it's…unappetizing to you, the idea of eating here, where it smells so unpleasant – but I would feel much better it you would take some food with you when you go. I know you can't go home, and that's because of us. Please – ease some of my remorse. Take something to eat." She held the food out, pleading for him to take it.

"Uh, sure, sure," Jacob mumbled. "I guess. Maybe Leah's still hungry or something…"

He took the food and kept it at arms length.

"Thank you, Jacob," Esme said, smiling warmly.

"Um thank you," he murmured back, trying not to blush.

"Will you come back, Jake?" Bella asked, before he could make a break.

"I don't know."

"Please? I might get cold."

"Maybe."

"Jacob?" Esme interrupted softly. He backed towards the door, and Esme took a few steps after him. "I left a basket of clothes on the porch. They're for Leah. They're freshly washed – I tried to touch them as little as possible. Do you mind taking them to her?"

"On it," Jacob muttered, slipping away before he was asked another favour.

Esme sighed, watching him leave, dutifully carrying all she had asked him to. I reached forward and drew her towards me, and we stood in silence for a moment.

The phone rang then, and Alice dashed off to pick it up.

"It's Charlie," she said, handing the phone to Bella.

**AN (again) ~ as you have probably noticed, I don't usually do this, it's just that I really would like suggestions for Christmas carols for this season. Already got Jingle Bells, Rudolph, Last Christmas, Walkin in a Winter Wonderland and Silent Night. I'm going to try Joy to the World coz I just couldn't get it last time, but I need some more!**

**Some of them will be wolf pack as I'm not Team Edward OR Jacob, but if you want to request a character or set of characters (preferrably with a song), go for it.**

**-SonicTeamCE**


	60. Breakthrough

**AN ~ So, so sorry for taking this long! I was occupying myself with Life is Harder (Bella/Edward) and some Doctor Who fics...but anyway, here I am again! Only two (ish) months since my last update...wow, I'm so sorry guys!  
**

**I'd say the next chapter will be up sooner, but frankly, I doubt it. You never know – I am kind of in the mood for Stars today...Anyhow, I do hope that in the next week or so, I will update Life is Harder and/or Once, Twice, Three Times (a DW fic)**

**But I'll let you get on with Stars, seeing as that's what you all came for :)**

Chapter Sixty: Breakthrough

Esme:

Not for the first time, Rosalie carried Bella to the bathroom and shut the door, already reaching for the glass of water, the hand-towel and the scrunchie. Edward shifted his seat and put his head in his hands, drained.

"Don't worry, honey," I murmured, sitting beside him and putting my arms around him. "It's going to be okay. This is normal, trust me."

Edward did not respond. I wished I could alleviate his suffering, but there was nothing more I could say. I just hugged him in silence and waited for him to figure out what he wanted to do.

And then Jacob walked in. He strutted in confidently, but suddenly hesitated. He looked around wildly, no doubt searching for Bella.

"She's all right," Edward whispered hoarsely, not even looking up. "Or, the same, I should say."

"Hello Jacob," I greeted, wishing I had something comforting to tell him. "I'm so glad you came back."

"Me too," Alice said with a deep sigh as she drifted down the staircase, her brow finally uncreasing a little as her headache was alleviated.

"Um, hey," Jacob greeted awkwardly. "Where's Bella?"

"Bathroom," Alice told him. "Mostly fluid diet, you know. Plus, the whole pregnancy thing does that to you, I hear."

"Ah."

Jacob just stood there, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"Oh, wonderful," I heard Rosalie's voice from the hall by the stairs. "I knew I smelled something nasty."

She followed her voice into the main living area with Bella cradled gently in her arms. Bella's face lit up upon sighting her semi-canine friend, and Jake's twisted as though this caused him physical pain.

"Jacob," Bella breathed. "You came."

"Hi, Bells," Jacob greeted weakly.

Edward mechanically stood to make way for Bella, and I stood by him. Bella gritted her teeth against the pain as Rosalie ever-so-carefully lowered her onto the couch. Edward gently brushed a hand across her forehead, then along her neck, sweeping her hair back at the same time as examining Bella's sickly state.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Bella replied.

"Remember what Carlisle told you," Rosalie instructed, with the curt tone of a strict teacher. "Don't downplay _anything. _It doesn't help us take care of either of you."

"Okay, I'm a little cold," Bella admitted. "Edward, can you hand me that blanket?"

Things seemed to be reasonable civil down here – not so much as a snarl. About time, if you ask me. Still making sure to keep an ear out, I flitted back to Carlisle's study.

.o.o.o.

He was hidden behind a shelf, but I approached the desk, where Carlisle had sorted the documents into two piles: helpful and not helpful. One of them was enormous, and the other only consisted of a few sheets – I guessed this was the 'helpful' pile.

"Morning," Carlisle greeted grimly as he emerged from the shelves, apparently not happy with his findings.

"Morning," I greeted, deflated by his hunched shoulders and exhausted demeanor.

"That's one hundred," he muttered, glaring at the pages before him for a moment. He shook his head and raked his hand through his hair. I pulled his seat out for him and he sunk into it slowly, as if he was aching right down to his bones.

"This is getting ridiculous," he murmured to himself, leaning his head back against the top of the seat and shutting his eyes. "One hundred stories, all of them the same."

"What about those?" I asked, pointing to what I had assumed was the 'helpful' pile.

"The inventory and fee," he replied with a groan. I ran my fingers over his forehead and through his hair. He began to unwind at my touch, until suddenly-

"Carlisle?" Edward called from downstairs.

In an instant, Carlisle was out the door. I flew after him, and skidded to a halt when I saw Bella's contorted face.

"Okay. Think it's over," Bella said, breathing hard and shallow. "Poor kid doesn't have enough room, that's all. He's getting so big."

The love in her voice made me want to cry: not only the willingness but the _desire _to sacrifice herself for the child. What I saw in her eyes when she defended him – it reminded me of myself, all those years ago.

"You know, he reminds me of you, Jake," Bella commented, to Jacob's immediate fury.

"Do _not _compare me to that _thing._"

"I just meant your growth spurt," Bella said innocently. "You shot right up; I could watch you getting taller by the minute. He's like that too, growing so fast."

Bella's breaths came easier, and she seemed to go limp as she settled back into the sofa.

"Hmm," Carlisle murmured thoughtfully, studying Jacob. Jacob looked up, away from Bella, and they were watching each other.

"What?" Jake demanded. Edward tilted his head to the side, contemplating Carlisle's thoughts. It was the first time I had seen his expression change in a long time.

"You know that I was wondering about the fetus' genetic makeup, Jacob. About his chromosomes," Carlisle started.

"What of it?" Jacob demanded.

"Well, taking your similarities into consideration-"

"Similari_ties?"_

"The accelerated growth, and the fact that Alice cannot see either of you. Well, I wonder if that means that we have an answer. If the similarities are gene-deep."

Jacob's face went blank, shocked.

"Twenty-four pairs," Edward murmured under his breath.

"You don't know that," Jacob objected.

"No, but it's interesting to speculate," Carlisle pointed out.

"Yeah. Just _fascinating."_

Jacob stood, bewildered and silent, as Carlisle and Edward launched into a fully-fledged medical science discussion. They soon left me behind too – girls hadn't studied a high level of science in my school days, and I had never made much of an effort to learn. But Carlisle had taught me the equivalent of today's secondary school education, so I managed to deduce that they were using dominant genes and characteristics to try to determine which elements of the human and vampire strains this child would likely inherit. I knew brown eyes were supposed to be dominant over blue, but frankly I didn't see how that helped to tell which traits were dominant in vampire/human hybrids: Blood or food digestion? Strength, speed, invulnerability…how was anyone to tell?

I watched Carlisle's lips moving faster and faster, his eyes glistening with a hope and energy that weeks of stress, frustration and thirst had ground out of him. And I smiled, because in that moment, anything was possible.


	61. Double or Nothing

**AN ~ shortish chap today, sorry guys, but it stopped here and refused to go any further! How you enjoy it anyway ;)**

Chapter Sixty-One: Double or Nothing

Carlisle:

The excitement over our discovery soon waned, but not without leaving our hearts and minds refreshed. Our relative good fortune continued over night as Bella steadily improved and eventually tried to keep down some human food. It didn't work, but that she had the alertness and the capacity to try was a comforting concept. The next day – praise be to God and Jacob Black – we received wonderful news.

"Carlisle, we went halfway to Seattle. There's no sign of the pack. You're good to go."

Edward and Rosalie refused, point blank, to leave Bella's side for so much as a second, especially when the only other protection for her was the world's smallest pack of werewolves. Their stubbornness worried me, but far more daunting was the prospect that I, her doctor, would be too easily distracted to properly deliver, and Bella could give birth any day now – any hour.

We ran for miles into the Rocky Mountains, where we found a herd of moose. Here we let ourselves loose, feasting almost to the point of being gorged, reveling in the revitalisation the animals' hot blood provided. I felt my senses sharpen, and my mind clear as if, all along, it had been as simple as picking up my thoughts, my worries, my hopes, and file them away like papers in an office. I watched as the dance returned to Alice's step, and the cheek to her smile; as Jasper loosened up and grew confident again, as Emmett's energy and enthusiasm was rekindled, and as Esme once again came to glow with peace, strenth and optimism.

It was late afternoon when we finally satisfied ourselves. Emmett, Alice and Jasper laughed and joked as they sprinted off into the trees. Watching them, Esme grinned; her sweet golden eyes glistening with happiness. I kissed her forehead and drew her closer to me, and rested my chin on the top of her head where I could best recieve her warm cinnamon-and-roses scent. With one hand, Esme intertwined her dainty porcelain fingers with min e, and with the other, she proceeded to lazily draw patterns on the back of my trapped hand. And she was purring softly, her eyes closed in blissful respite.

Though I could have spent the rest of the night like this – silent and still like Monet's water lilies – I could not neglect my duties at home. Esme and I left the children playing, and visted Mercy Hospital in Vancouver to pick up more bloodbags. Esme sat down and waited patiently, flicking through a magazine carelessly tossed onto her chair, as I made the transaction, appearing as unfazed as I was by the awe-struck gazes of hospital staff, patients and visitors.

As we left, carrying the Eski between us, she leant sideways and murmured through her hair;

"I still don't like it when they ogle you like that."

"Me?" I replied with a chuckle. "I'd dress you in flour sacks if I thought it would take their eyes off you."

"Flour sacks?" she retorted. "Who still uses flour sacks?"

"Millers?"

Esme laughed and kissed me on the cheek. "I love it when you're old-fashioned."

With this comment, she took my side of the Eski as if it weighed no more than a loaf of bread, and took off for the next town: we needed as much blood as possible to give Bella her best chance, so we visited as many hospitals as we could. By sundown, we'd managed to fill the first Eksi, but there had been a plane crash in the Yukon that was draining on supplies north of British Columbia, including Alaska.

We returned to the clearing where we had separated, and upon hearing our approach, Emmett, Alice and Jasper met us there. They watched for my decision as I silently considered the amount of blood we had in our possession. Would it be enough? Was it worth running all the way to Ontario, where supplies would not be hindered, at the risk of missing or being late for Bella's birth? As it was, we had taken plenty of risks by being so many hours away for so long. But if we went to Ontario, it was quite possible we could increase our current supply by 150 or even 200 percent.

I put this proposal to the others, and they were just as stuck as I was: the whole decision relied on whether or not Bella would go into labour before we could get back from Ontario.

"Why don't we split up?" Jasper suggested. "Alice and I could take the Eski back – running against the sun I'd say we'd make it back by nightfall. You, Esme and Emmett could go to Ontario, try your luck at the hospitals there, and we'll call you the instant something happens. That means each group should be able to defend themselves in the case of hostile activity, there will be at least one controlled presence at the house, and in the off chance anything does happen, Alice can use her control and medical knowledge to deal with the situation until you get there."

Snap decision. The plan was full of holes, but sometimes moving forward is better for everyone than overthinking: besides, both other options were shots in the dark and this way we covered the most bases.

"Go."

Alice and Jasper were out of sight in less than a second, and the rest of us sprinted in the opposite direction.

.o.o.o.

We were almost at Lake Winnipeg when my cell rang. It was Alice. Already heading back towards Washington with Esme and Emmett unquestioningly tailing me, put it to my ear.

"Alice?"

"_Carlisle thank God! I thought you were never going to pick up!"_

"It's only been a second – what's happening?"

Suddenly, a menagerie of voices exploded from the tiny speaker.

"_What's happening, Edward? He's suffocating! The placenta must have detached!"_

"_Carlisle…it's- it's killing her! She can't-"_

"_Get him OUT! He can't BREATHE! Do it NOW!"_

"Put Rosalie on," I said, fighting for control of my tone against my uncharacteristic instinct to panic.

"_Let the morphine spread!" _Edward bellowed.

"_There's no time," _Rosalie hissed. _"He's dying!"_

"Pick up the scalpel to your left," I instructed. "Cut her belly. It won't pierce the amniotic sac, but-"

"_No, ROSE!" _Edward bellowed.

There was a crack, and then a silence so pure and terrifying it brought me to a halt.

"Rose?" I called. "Alice? Edward?"

Nobody picked up.

I slipped the cell back into my pocket, and the others looked at me with with solemn eyes. No doubt they had overheard every word.

"What do we do now?" Esme wondered quietly.

"Run," I recommended gravely. "Run, and pray that Bella is strong enough for this."


	62. Transformation

**AN ~ Wow. Nearly 3 months since my last update. Is it bad that I feel inclined to say ONLY three months? I'M SORRY! But I've got the next chapter ready; do you want it now or later?**

Chapter Sixty Two: Transformation

Esme POV:

As horses harnessed to a cart, each racing at their fastest pace yet always as one, Carlisle and I sprinted through the forest, through the open door and up the stairs. We could hear a baby crying, but nothing else, and when we seemed at last to reach Bella's new room, we saw why.

I jarred to a halt the instant I saw it. Edward was still bowed over her, blood near-drenching his clothing and slowly dripping from his lip. Carlisle took two extra, tentative, hopeful steps.

"I was too late," Edward growled.

I crept up to Carlisle's side. From here, I could almost see Bella's face. She looked strangely peaceful – she was even smiling between all the blood and bruises. I looked up at the side of Carlisle's face: his eyes were fixed on Edward, his expression somewhere between horror, fear and faithful hope. I tugged on his sleeve, and he glanced down at Bella.

"She saw her baby," I breathed, a smile touching my lips though I wanted to cry. If there was one thing I was glad to have experienced before I jumped, it was to have held my little boy.

Edward groaned, and I realised what I had just thought. I tried to take it back, but I could not erase the thought from my head, even as Bella's heart gave a fragile _thud _like a failing engine.

"_Esme," _Edward moaned. "Go downstairs. Rose has it. Her. Renesmee."

I was only making things worse up here, so I backed away, praying that Bella would pull through despite that haunting expression. Carlisle approached Edward, and as I turned and descended the stair well, still shaking at the horrific vision of Bella's prone form, I heard him say to Edward;

"Her injuries are not so much worse than Esme's. Listen to her heart, Edward. This is going to work."

My fingers gouged the railing. _Not so much worse. _Worse. My next thought was stolen by Edward's lips:

"Then why isn't she screaming?"

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

Bella has been lying like a statue for two days now, and if it weren't for her heartbeat – now reassuringly strong - we would be mourning her loss by now. Edward loses hope with every passing hour, and he hasn't once left Bella's side.

For the third time today, I slipped up to the library and carefully, quietly entered the room. Edward watched me with dark, dreary eyes as I put my fingers to Bella's wrist. Her skin was feverishly hot, and covered in a cold sweat. The fire was spreading, apparently: she probably couldn't even feel my cold hands through the burn.

"Still no change?" There was barely any inflection in the question as he stared at Bella's face.

"None," I confessed. Why wasn't Bella _reacting? _Maybe the morphine had done some good. I leant down and sniffed at Bella's wrist, searching for the tiniest remnants of morphine. She didn't so much as twitch when I exhaled over her hand. I told myself this was a good thing, that the morphine must therefore be working, but there were too many doubts for Edward. And for me.

Edward's eyes narrowed, barely perceptibly, into a glare.

"There's no scent of the morphine left," I told him.

"I know."

"Bella? Can you hear me?" I asked. A strand of hair blew across her face. Bella remained as still as a corpse. _Please say something, _I begged._ Anything. Scream, I don't care, he needs to hear you._

"Bella? Bella love?" Edward didn't bother to glare at me. He was too panicked; he knew I was right. He needed to hear her. He had long steeled himself for the fact that it might be an unpleasant sound. "Can you open your eyes? Can you squeeze my hand?" He picked up one of her hands and lightly squeezed her fingers. Again, Bella did not respond.

"Maybe…Carlisle, maybe I was too late," he said, his voice cracking with the same despair that had plagued his expression for the last 50 or so hours. His eyes finally dropped from Bella's face, flitting over the ground, which had been cleared of medical implements, as if to locate me, though he knew exactly where I was standing.

"Edward, listen to her heart," I suggested, reaching across Bella to put a hand on his hunched shoulder. He half-heartedly tried to shrug it off, but I was resolved. "It's stronger than even Emmett's was. I've never heard anything so _vital. _She'll be perfect."

"And her- her spine?" Edward choked.

"Her injuries weren't so much worse than Esme's," I repeated. "The venom will heal her as it did Esme."

"But she's so still. I _must _have done something wrong."

"Or something right, Edward."

I removed my hand from his shoulder. Edward slowly raised his eyes to meed mine.

"Son," I sighed gently. "You did everything I could have and more. I'm not sure I would have had the persistence, the faith it took to save her. Stop berating yourself. Bella is going to be fine."

Edward didn't believe me, but his attention was back on Bella now.

"She must be in agony," he whispered hoarsely.

"We don't know that," I pointed out. "She had so much morphine in her system. We don't know the effect that will have on her experience."

Edward groaned silently, wishing he could ignore my frustrating optimism, but knowing it was the only thing keeping him sane...if his condition could even be called so. He took Bella's arm by the elbow, resisting the urge to rest his head on her almost still chest.

"Bella, I love you," he murmured. "Bella, I'm sorry."

I felt awkward listening to their private – albeit one-sided – conversation, so I turned my thoughts to the situation downstairs. Emmett was outside with Renesmee, and Rosalie and Jacob would occasionally break out into vicious fights in the living room. Alice, Esme and Jasper were on guard, of course, and often broke the two apart when the battle became too heated, but they were not enough to put a stopper in the fights all together. Edward was the only one who might be able to clear the air.

"No, I'm staying right here," Edward whispered his objection. "They'll sort it out."

"An interesting situation," I mused: a vampire and a werewolf, fighting it out for the affection of a half-vampire child. "And I'd thought I'd seen just about everything…" 

"I'll deal with it later. _We'll _deal with it later," Edward insisted.

"I'm sure, between the five of us, we can keep it from turning into bloodshed," I assured him. Emmett would fight on Rosalie's side, but the rest of us should be able to keep those two under control. Edward sighed.

"I don't know which side to take. I'd love to flog them both. Well, later."

"I wonder what Bella will think – whose side she'll take." I pondered the thought, but no answer came up. Edward gave a low, strained chuckle as I had often heard him do to the things Bella said.

"I'm sure she'll surprise me," he replied. "She always does."

.o.o.o.

"How's Bella?" Esme murmured when I returned downstairs.

"No response yet," I replied. "She hasn't even moved. All the morphine is gone, but her heart's still pumping strongly, so that's a good sign."

"Good," Esme breathed, her eyes flicking back to Jacob momentarily.

"Not long," Alice breathed, dancing up the stairs to inform Edward. Jasper was still leaning against the wall, his eyes lazily flicking from Rosalie to Jacob. He didn't seem to notice the worry and anger that must be flooding him right now. Maybe he had just grown used to it: the house had been a seething mass of anxiety for the last few days, if not months. Esme settled back into my arms, and a slight smile crept onto Jasper's face, his eyes lingering on us for a moment before resuming their switching between Rose and Jake.

"Can you take over?" Esme asked. "I want to go see Renesmee."

"Sure." I smiled and kissed her hand as she glided towards the door.

.o.o.o.

Just over six hours later, Edward called my name. Alice and I flew upstairs, and I was first through the door.

"Listen," Edward instructed, stopping Alice and I in our tracks. The loudest sound in the room was Bella's galloping heart, thrumming loudly against her chest.

"Ah, it's almost over," I murmured. A smile touched my lips and widened when I saw it reflected, if only for a moment, in Edward's.

"Soon," Alice agreed eagerly, a smile lighting her eyes. "I'll get the others. Should I have Rosalie…?"

"Yes," I decided reluctantly. "Keep the baby away." The last thing we wanted was for Bella to attack her child. It would break all our hearts – especially hers.

Bella's fingers twitched, and the world seemed to shift around that simple action. Edward squeezed her fingers, desperate for a response at last.

"Bella? Bella love?"

"I'll bring them right up," Alice offered, an urgent edge to her excitement, darting off downstairs before she shot through the roof.

Bella's heart took off then; roaring like someone had just pulled the ripcord on a propeller blade. Her expression contorted just the slightest bit as her back arched. She was controlling herself, forcing her face to hold its emotionless pose, forcing her hands to remain still, though she must want to tear up the bed by now.

Holding our breath, we were both leaning forward in anticipation as the others filed into the room. Someone's phone buzzed, but it didn't get through one ring before Esme flicked it open.

"It's Charlie," she murmured, heading for the door.

"I'll take it," I offered, striding across the room so I could have the speaker downstairs quickly: we didn't know what Bella would do when she woke up, and I didn't want Esme to miss out on meeting the new Bella for the first time. She had been so looking forward to it.

"No, it's all right," Esme said with an earnest smile as she looked back at me and Bella. "Charlie's a parent too. We have to tell him something – he must have noticed by now."

She disappeared before I could object, but just before I chased her, Bella's heart stuttered twice and then failed. There was a sharp intake of breath from the bed in the center of the room, and then her bright red eyes snapped open.


	63. Isabella Marie Cullen

**AN ~ As promised, chapter 63 :) I'd vow to get the next chapter to you soon but to be brutally honest, I doubt it'll be within the next few weeks. Sorry! Please stick with me; I am so SO thankful to ALL you readers, reviewers, subscribers and favouriters out there! *hugs***

Chapter Sixty Three: Isabella Marie Cullen

Emmett and Jasper stepped in front of me, shielding Alice and I, but Edward refused to leave Bella's side, even when she flipped off her back with an aggressive snarl and darted to the back of the room, in a defensive crouch.

Edward's face contorted with concern. Alice peeked around Jasper's elbow, grinning at Bella, but though she was watching us, most of Bella's now heightened vision was focused on Edward's face. She gasped, stammering over words she could not find. She straightened, and Edward slowly, calmly approached, as though Bella was a horse who had just spooked.

"Bella?" he asked in a low, calming tone, his arm still outstretched from holding Bella's hand. "Bella love? I'm sorry, I know it's disorienting, but you're all right. Everything is fine." He reached his hand carefully forward and stroked Bella's cheek. He let his hand drop just a little, and waited for Bella to speak. A moment later, her arms were around him and her face pressed into his chest.

"Um…carefully, Bella. Ow," Edward murmured. She pulled her arms away, horrified, and folded them behind her back.

"Oops," she mouthed. Edward just smiled.

"Don't panic, love," he crooned, lifting his hand again to gently touch her lips, and again his hand passed ever so gently over her cheek. Very slowly, Bella freed her right arm, and brought it up to touch Edward's cheek, staring in awe.

"I love you," she told him.

"As I love you," he replied. Still as careful as ever, he drew her into a soft kiss. Bella's reaction strengthened the kiss, and Edward was just as willing to carry it further. I looked away, and Alice mimed a gag at me before the grin returned to her face.

Thankfully, Emmett interrupted by clearing his throat. Bella's face contorted with embarrassment and she stepped away from Edward, but Edward went right along with her, keeping his arm around her waist. He looked smug, and slightly addled by the mind-blowing kiss.

"You've been holding out on me," Bella said, apparently trying to sound accusing. He laughed, not bothering to hide his relief.

"It was sort of necessary at the time," he explained. "Now it's your turn not to break _me."_

Bella frowned in such a perfect imitation of Alice that I couldn't help but laugh. Emmett and Jasper were laughing too. Alice prodded me forward, so I stepped around Emmett and approached Bella, carefully of course but buzzing with questions. My mind flicked through them all, trying to decide which to ask. Of course, the words that came out of my mouth were the most simple, yet probably the most important.

"How are you feeling, Bella?"

"Overwhelmed," she replied. "There's so _much…"_ She drifted off, distracted.

"Yes, it can be quite confusing," I sympathised.

"But I feel like me," Bella continued with a nod sharper than she probably intended. "Sort of. I didn't expect that."

"I told you so," Edward whispered, squeezing her waist gently. Bella did not react with any of the sensuality I would have expected, nor with fright or defensiveness. I hope I did not look too shocked.

"You are quite controlled," I mused. "More so than _I _expected, even with the time you've had to prepare yourself mentally for this."

"I'm not sure about that," Bella objected. Perhaps there was more to her experience than she showed. More questions added themselves to a self-generating list in my head.

"It seems like we did something right with the morphine this time," I said, changing the topic – although it may be related. "Tell me, what do you remember of the transformation process?"

"Everything was…very dim before," she explained after a moment. "I remember the baby couldn't breathe…"

She glanced up at Edward, suddenly remembering.

"Renesmee is healthy and well," he promised her, with admiration in his voice and his eyes.

"What do you remember after that?"

"It's hard to remember. It was so dark before. And then…I opened my eyes and I could see _everything."_

"Amazing," I breathed, watching every facet of expression that wavered across her face. "I want you to think – to tell me everything you remember." I didn't mean to be so pressing; I was just so caught up in the moment. Bella grimaced, and I immediately realised how uncomfortable she must be.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Bella," I apologised, chagrin rushing through me. "Of course your thirst must be very uncomfortable. This conversation can wait."

Suddenly, her hand flew up to her throat, and her face contorted with the pain she must have been trying all that time to oppress.

"Let's hunt, Bella," Edward suggested, taking her free hand and tugging gently, ushering her after him. She looked bewildered, and Edward smiled encouragingly. "It's quite easy, love. Instinctual. Don't worry, I'll show you – I was under the impression that you'd always _wanted _to see me hunt."

She laughed, the sound so different to her human laugh and yet similar, but again seemed distracted by something. I was still trying not to look too embarrassed about letting myself get carried away. Edward reached up and took Bella's other hand away from her neck.

"Shall we?" he invited.

"I'm fine," Bella murmured absently. "Wait. First."

"Yes?" I prodded.

"I want to see her. Renesmee."

As if struck by a terrible revelation, her hands dropped to her stomach, searching for the physical proof of her daughter. I wanted more than anything to reunite the mother with her daughter, but it was for the best that we put it off. I glanced at Edward to make sure he understood.

"What?" Bella demanded, apparently having noticed this.

"Bella, that's not really a good idea," Edward said gently. "She's half human, love. Her heart beats, and blood runs in her veins. Until your thirst is positively under control…you don't want to put her in danger, do you?"

Bella hesitated, taken aback, much as she had been when I asked her about Edward's soul – had it only been a year ago? It was so strange, in a way off-putting, to see such a creature of perfection resemble her red–faced, shy human embodiment of the past.

"Where is she? Is Rosalie with her?" Bella asked.

"Yes," Edward replied curtly. Rosalie and Jacob were both downstairs, but Esme was the only one available to stop a fight right now, and she was on the telephone with a very frustrated Charlie.

"Wait," Bella said again. "What about Jacob? And Charlie? Tell me everything that I missed. How long was I unconscious?" Edward shot me a wary glance that I returned, both of us suddenly realising the same thing: _Charlie would insist on seeing her._

"What's wrong?" Bella whispered, her eyes flickering to my face.

"Nothing is _wrong," _I assured her, trying to bend the truth enough to avoid hurting her or making her angry. "Nothing has changed much, actually – you were only unaware for just over two days. It was very fast, as these things go. Edward did an excellent job, quite innovative – the venom injection straight to your heart was his idea." I paused for a moment to smile at Edward; I had never told him just how ingenious that was. But the moment couldn't last, of course. I sighed, and forced myself to continue: "Jacob is still here, and Charlie still believes you are sick. He thinks you're in Atlanta right now, undergoing tests at the CDC. We gave him a bad number, and he's frustrated. He's been speaking to Esme."

There. I said it. I told her about Jacob and about Charlie. Would she be angry or upset for the way we had handled things? No, apparently not. She reacted just as Bella would have: thinking only about the others.

"I should call him…" she mumbled to herself. Then: "hold on – Jacob is _still here?"_

_It will still be too dangerous, _I warned Edward. Jacob may have imprinted on Renesmee, but that didn't make him suddenly one-hundred-percent happy about what had happened to Bella. There just might be a fight, and I didn't want to risk that.

"Bella," Edward said quickly. "There's much to discuss, but we should take care of you first. You have to be in pain…"

"But Jacob-"

"We have all the time in the world for explanations, love," he reminded her.

"Okay." Bella finally gave in. This time it was Alice who interrupted.

"Wait, wait, wait. You promised I could be there the first time! What if you two run past something reflective?"

"Alice-!" Edward protested.

"It will only take a second!" Alice insisted, running from the room.

"What is she talking about?" Bella wondered.

Alice came in then, carrying Rosalie's mirror, and Jasper drifted to her side, keeping his eyes locked on Bella. He still thought Edward and I were being ridiculously reckless, allowing so many of us to be so close to Bella when she was so unstable.

"Edward gave me grief for not getting you to a mirror before the wedding," Alice explained, setting up the mirror. "I'm not going to be chewed out again."

"Chewed out?" Edward repeated skeptically, an eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Maybe I'm overstating things," Alice murmured absently, trying to control her grin as she turned the mirror to face Bella.

"And maybe this has solely to do with your own voyeuristic gratification," Edward countered. Alice just winked at him.

Bella looked admiringly over her reflection for a while, but her face suddenly went blank with horror.

"The eyes?" she whispered hoarsely. "How long?" 

"They'll darken up in a few months," Edward assured her. "Animal blood dilutes the colour more quickly than a diet of human blood. They'll turn amber first, then gold."

"Months?" Bella squeaked, panicking. Jasper took a wary step forward, but Bella quickly composed herself.

"No, I'm fine," she promised. "It's just…a lot to take in." Jasper's brow furrowed.

"I don't know," Edward murmured, pondering Jasper's question.

"What question did I miss?" Bella wondered.

"Jasper wonders how you're doing it," Edward explained.

"Doing what?"

"Controlling your emotions, Bella," Jasper answered. "I've never seen a newborn do that - stop an emotion in its tracks that way. You were upset, but when you saw our concern, you reigned it in, regained power over yourself. I was prepared to help, but you didn't need it."

"Is that wrong?" Bella asked fearfully.

"No," he said, but he sounded uncertain.

"It's very impressive, Bella, but we don't understand it. We don't know how long it can hold," Edward reasoned gently.

"But what do you think?" Alice asked, sounding a little irritated that her big moment had been taken.

"I'm not sure," Bella replied reluctantly.

Edward gave a tired sigh.

"Disappointed?" Bella murmured.

"Yes," he replied quietly. Bella looked shocked, and a little hurt. I rolled up onto my toes when Alice snarled. Jasper crouched, waiting for Bella to give a definite physical reaction. Edward, however, ignored the tension; he wrapped his arms tightly around Bella's hips from behind her, kissing her cheek.

"I was rather hoping that I'd be able to hear your mind, now that it is more similar to my own," he explained. "But here I am, frustrated as ever, wondering what could possibly be going on inside your head."

"Oh, well," Bella said lightly, suddenly relieved of her concern. "I guess my brain will never work right. At least I'm pretty."

"Bella, you have _never _been merely pretty," Edward murmured in her ear. Jasper fidgeted uneasily. "All right, All right," Edward muttered.

"What?" Bella wondered.

"You're making Jasper more edgy by the second. He may relax a little when you've hunted," Edward explained.

"Okay, let's hunt," she agreed. She twisted away from the mirror, keeping one of Edward's hands in hers. He let her over to the window. Bella stared down the daunting two stories and shivered. "The window?"

Esme darted to my side, already grinning at Bella's shocked expression.

"It's the most convenient exit," Edward explained to Bella. "If you're frightened, I can carry you."

"We have all eternity, and you're worried about the time it would take to walk to the back door?"

"Renesmee and Jacob are downstairs…"

"Oh."

Esme leaned back against me, frowning slightly as Bella's face dropped with shame and sadness. Her hand searched for mine and squeezed it tightly, upset that Bella could not yet see Renesmee though she understood perfectly why.

"Is Renesmee…okay…with Jacob there?" Bella asked at last. "He doesn't like her much."

"Trust me, she is perfectly safe," Edward replied, though he was reluctant to release the details of it. "I know exactly what Jacob is thinking."

"Of course," Bella murmured, warily eyeing the ground again.

"Stalling?" Edward challenged.

"A little," Bella admitted. "I don't know how…"

Emmett chuckled under his breath, and Alice scowled at him. Only now did I notice what Alice had dressed poor Bella in: a tight blue dress and high stilettos. I shook my head in pity for Bella, biting my lip against my laughter.

"Watch me," Edward instructed, letting himself drop out the window. Bella clenched her teeth and followed him, dropping gracefully to the ground with an even softer thud.

"Right. Easy," she concluded.

"Bella?" 

"Yes?" 

"That was very graceful, even for a vampire," Edward praised.

"Thank you," Bella said warmly. A moment later, a pair of silver shoes came flying through the open window. Esme jumped forward to catch them.

"Her fashion sense hasn't improved as much as her balance," Alice grumbled. She took the shoes from Esme and whisked them away, still muttering about that obstinate Isabella Marie Cullen.

"Pot kettle," Emmett coughed. Even Jasper laughed at that.


	64. Renesmee

**AN ~ FINISHED EXAMS! WHOOT! Happy Last Exam Day to me, and to you, with this adorable chapter in which the Cullens' newest mum meets Nes-_Renesmee. _It's longish too – all the more to enjoy!**

Chapter Sixty Four: Renesmee

Esme:

Still relishing the sight of our new Bella, Alice and I ran into the forest to put the finishing touches on our special surprise. Even Edward didn't know the exact details, and we were determined to keep it that way so he wouldn't tell Bella anything. I wasn't one for pushing material goods on people, but this was a _home._ Their home.

I stopped in the doorway, right on the threshold, and remembered when Carlisle carried me across his – _ours_ - for the first time. It was only right Edward could do the same, even if the moment had been delayed somewhat. My boy, my Edward...he was all grown up. And I couldn't be prouder.

"So…I have a proposal to offer," Alice started, sensing she was interrupting my thoughts. Or perhaps it was just guilt lacing her tone...

"What have you done?" I demanded, looking from her all-too-innocent face to the equally innocent hallway before us, as if that might yield some clue.

"…nothing you can't live with," Alice's poker face broke out in a grin, and everything I had learned in my last 80 years as a mother told me that was the face of deviousness. I looked around, and everything seemed normal, but Alice's step bouncing as she followed me warned me against comfort. I walked through the house, pushing open each door and examining the room it led to.

Finally, I pushed open the door to the bedroom to find it filled with racks and racks, and shelves and shelves of clothes! Alice giggled and skipped a few steps backward.

"Alice, what are you _doing?" _I asked.

"Well the other room wasn't big enough," she whined. I rolled my eyes.

"The closet. Is bigger. Than their _room."_

"But you can work with that!" Alice defended herself.

"Of course I can," I agreed, "but really…ridiculous." I shook my head pitifully and walked into the next room. It was fairly small but yes, with the right décor it would brush up well. I tilted my head to the side, examining the room: square, with a polished sand-coloured wooden floor and pale walls, and a pair of glass doors leading to the serene forest surroundings. Suddenly a wave of inspiration came to me.

Alice was already beside me, holding out a pencil and sketchpad. I took it from her and began to draw. My hand worked the pencil so that it produced the scene of a small garden, spilling out across the page with the ease that Edward's beautiful melodies spilled out from any instrument he touched. The garden decorated itself the way a song did too: layers building on top of each other, weaving around each other…until finally I was left with a small private garden, hidden by climbing roses. In the center was a round pool, clear and flat like a mirror, framed by peacefully shimmering stones. It was tranquil: beautiful.

"I knew you'd do something awesome," Alice murmured, a satisfied glint in her eye as she took the sketch from me and projected it into its surroundings. "It's going to be great! But right now Bella's headed back to the house. Time to meet Nessie! Go! Go!"

I grinned and shot off towards the house, already anticipating the look on Bella's face when she saw her baby. That is the most priceless moment in a mother's life: I was not going to miss it! 

I ran straight into Carlisle's arms, shaking with excitement, just as the others converged in the living room with us. Rosalie hovered behind the line, crooning softly to Nessie. Jacob was outside, already waiting for Edward and Bella. Alice sprung lightly up the steps into Jasper's arms and giggled softly.

"Did she like it?" he murmured with a smile.

"She got over it quickly," Alice shrugged, winking at me before looking up and kissing Jasper. Carlisle chuckled, then leaned forward and gently kissed my neck. Everybody straightened and formed a line as Edward and Bella walked in – Bella looking very nervous. Jacob, clearly unhappy about the way things were going, joined Rosalie. They stood closer than one would expect a vampire and werewolf to stand, and even though neither seemed to enjoy the proximity, neither was willing to back down: it had been going on for days. The only time it lightened up was when Carlisle measured Nessie's rapid growth; during which both of them hovered annoyingly close.

"I was out just two days?" Bella gasped, astounded as she stared at her daughter.

"Yes, that's her," Rosalie murmured behind us.

Bella's head tilted ever so slightly to the side, and she took a step towards Nessie. Something about those blood-red eyes reminded us that this was not our Bella, not completely, not so new. There was no guarantee how she might act. She was too close, moving too fast. We couldn't take any risks. We flew into defense positions: Rosalie and Nessie at the doorway, Jacob guarding them, Emmett and Jasper braced for Bella's attack, and Carlisle and I at their flanks. Edward's fingers tightened around Bella's upper arms, just in case.

Bella's blood red eyes flashed pain, and immediately I felt cruel for standing between her and her child. It was heartbreaking enough to be separated, but it must have hurt her more, how little faith we all appeared to have. Yet I could not settle: I had to protect the child with the blood from the monster that wanted the blood. I hated to think of Bella as a monster, but part of her was, just as part of Carlisle was, and part of myself was, no matter what I felt about it. Bella wouldn't bear it if she killed her dear Renesmee. I wasn't going to make her suffer that. I wasn't going to take the slightest risk.

I tore my eyes off Bella's. I was still between them. I was still hurting her. I couldn't look at her.

"Oh, give her some credit," Alice chided. "She wasn't going to do anything. You'd want a closer look too."

"I'm okay," Bella promised, patting Edward's tense hand. "Keep close though, just in case."

Jasper watched Bella carefully, and Edward kept his eyes on his brother as he freed Bella's arms.

"Jazz, Em, let us through. Bella's got this," Edward insisted.

"Edward, the risk-" Jasper made to object, but Edward cut him off:

"Minimal. Listen, Jasper: on the hunt she caught the scent of some hikers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time…"

Carlisle sucked in a shocked breath. In fact, the whole room seemed to. All our eyes locked on Bella – _How could this happen to our Bella?_ It took a moment for us to gather our thoughts, our emotions. Carlisle spoke first.

"Edward! How could you be so irresponsible?" he chastened.

"I know, Carlisle, I know. I was just plain stupid," Edward agreed. "I should have taken the time to make sure we were in a safe place before I set her loose."

"Edward," Bella murmured uncomfortably.

"He's absolutely right to rebuke me, Bella," Edward said, suddenly smiling. Carlisle's brow furrowed, ever so slightly, as he tried not to let on he was confused in the midst of what should be serious reprimand and sincere mediation. "I made a huge mistake. The fact that you are stronger than anyone I've ever known doesn't change that."

"Tasteful joke, Edward," Alice remarked, rolling her eyes.

"I wasn't making a joke. I was explaining to Jasper why I know Bella can handle this. It's not my fault everyone jumped to conclusions."

"Wait: she didn't hunt the humans?" Jasper interrogated.

"She started to. She was entirely focused on the hunt." Edward told it like a thrilling tale. I was so intrigued that I found myself leaning forward, anxious to catch everything.

"She heard me behind her and reacted defensively. As soon as my pursuit broke into her concentration, she snapped right out of it. I've never seen anything equal to her. She realised at once what was happening, and then…_she held her breath and ran away."_

A moment of pure silence as the shock wave hit and passed.

"Woah," Emmett murmured. "Seriously?"

"He's not telling it right. He left out the part where I growled at him," Bella mumbled, looking as though she wished to disappear.

"Did ya get in a couple of swipes?"

"No! Of course not!"

"No, not really? You really didn't attack him?"

"Emmett!"

"Aw, what a waste! And here you're probably the one person who could take him – since he can't get in your head to cheat – and you had a perfect excuse too." Emmett sighed, disappointed. "I've been _dying _to see how he'd do without that advantage."

"I would never," Bella hissed, glaring coldly.

"You see what I mean?" Edward asked Jasper, lightly punching him on the shoulder in a brotherly way.

"It's not natural," Jasper muttered. His stony expression did not change. In his eyes I could see fear, shame, confusion, envy. In his face, only a cold slate. And I had to admit – he was right. I put my hand on my heart, hardly able to imagine what could so easily have been.

"She could have turned on you!" I scolded. "She's only hours old! Oh, we should have gone with you."

"Edward, please?" Bella asked quietly, one arm reached up, instinctively stretched out towards her child. Jasper's teeth were set: he refused to step aside.

"Jazz, this isn't anything you've seen before. Trust me." Alice's voice was quiet, soothing. Conceding as usual only to her, he stepped out of the way, but put a hand on Bella's shoulder and traced her hesitant steps towards her child. Suddenly, Renesmee started to wail terribly. The heart-wrenching sounds pulled us all towards her, soothing and assuring her, wanting to stop the pain. Bella looked on, frozen and terrified.

"What's the matter? Is she hurt? What happened?" Bella's questions were echoed by Jacob, who was much more pressing. It physically hurt him to have his dear Renesmee suffering: I hated to see it.

"Oh Rose, let him have her," I pleaded. Rosalie surrendered the baby to Jacob.

"Is she in pain?" Jacob asked.

"No, she's fine. See? She just wants Bella," Rosalie assured him. Sure enough, Nessie had twisted around in Jacob's arms and was reaching for her mother. My eyes prickled with tears they wanted to cry as Bella whispered;

"She wants me?"

It was as though she simply couldn't believe such a thing was possible.

Carlisle slid his arms around my hips and rested his chin gently on my head as we watched Jacob hold Renesmee out for Bella. He did not let go, but that didn't affect the overall power of the moment. Bella still got to hold her child, though Jacob's hands didn't drop, and that moment of realisation swept through her. I watched it light her eyes.

I stopped blinking as Nessie reached up and put her hand to her mother's neck. The heartbeats - Nessie's thrumming and Jacob's strong pounding – marked otherwise silent seconds. Nobody breathed, except of course Jacob and Nessie. Even when Nessie lowered her hand, we waited for Bella's reaction.

"What…was…_that?" _she choked at last.

"What did you see?" Rosalie asked curiously, leaning around Jacob. "What did she show you?"

"_She _showed me that?"

"What was it?" Jacob asked.

"Um. Me. I think. But I looked terrible."

"It was the only memory she had of you," Edward explained. "She's letting you know that she's made the connection, the she knows who you are."

"But _how _did she do that?"

"How do I hear thoughts? How does Alice see the future? She's _gifted."_

"It's an interesting twist," Carlisle said to Edward. "Like she's doing the exact opposite of what you can."

He and Edward speculated away, and yet Carlisle never seemed to block me out. He forgot I was in his arms, and yet he did not. It was as though we were one person, one awareness. All I could hear was the excitement in his tone as he and Edward exchanged theories.

"Haven't we experimented enough for one day?" Jacob interrupted, his anxiety finally breaking through. "Okay, Bella's doing great, but let's not push it."

Bella glared at him, and Jasper shuffled ever so slightly closer.

"What is your _problem, _Jacob?" Bella demanded furiously. She lightly tugged Renesmee away from Jacob, but he didn't relinquish his hold; he only stepped closer.

"Just because I understand, it doesn't mean I won't throw you out, Jacob. Bella's doing extraordinarily well. Don't ruin the moment for her."

Edward's words were a warning. The peace was suddenly gone, Carlisle's flow of theories halted in its tracks, his hands ever so slightly tense around my waist, ready to throw me out of the way at the slightest chance of attack.

"I'll help him toss you, dog," Rosalie vowed. "I owe you a good kick in the gut."

"_No!" _Bella suddenly gasped.

She knew.


	65. Growth

**AN ~ Wow it's been a while! (Again!) How are we all? Yes, I'm procrastinating, but really, who invented 11-week terms anyway?**

**btw can I just give a BIG thankyou to all my awesome reviewers, subscribers, favouriters and readers for sticking with me through this grand epic and all my rather lengthy gaps! I hope you enjoy this chapter :) & good news: I'm on holidays in a few weeks so I shouldn't be TOO long with the next one *touch wood***

Chapter Sixty Five: Growth

Carlisle:

After a short chase which for the rest of us swung between worrying and amusing, Bella lunged for Jacob with a fury built on years of frustrated feelings, her desire to protect her family from the wolf, and her unstable newborn state, set off by the rapid sequence of events of the last few minutes. At the last moment, Seth knocked his Alpha to the ground, taking the worst of Bella's attack on one sandy shoulder. The crack was spectacular, and for a moment it had all of us – even Rosalie, though she denied it immediately after – above the ground with panic.

I sprinted across the yard to where Seth lay, in his human form, groaning and trying to curl up around the pain. Beside him, Jacob was clambering to his feet, glancing rapidly between Bella and Seth, unable to fathom what had happened in the last instant and why he was not currently feeling the full force of Bella's rage flooding through him.

"Holy crap!" he exclaimed in summary, his eyes pulled back to Bella as she was tackled to the ground in an instant by Jasper and Alice; Emmett standing watchfully a few yards back. "Holy _sh-_"

I cleared my throat loudly, cutting him off.

"Help me carry him inside," I requested. Mind still boggled, Jacob obeyed.

.o.o.o.

I left Jacob to take his friend to the lounge, and fetched a brace from my office; by the time I returned, Seth was conscious and grinning: a reassuring sign. He batted away Edward's profuse apologies with admirable spirit, and shifted in his seat with barely a wince so that I could start applying the brace to his arm.

After taking a moment to pull herself together, Bella crept into the room like the dog who had bitten the baby – I smiled at my own irony.

"Seth, I-" she began.

"Don't worry about it, Bella, I'm totally fine," Seth assured her.

"Bella, love, no one is judging you. You're doing so well," Edward said at the same time. Bella grimaced. A moment later, when Seth winced again, she exclaimed yet more apologies.

"Don't freak, Bella," Seth said calmly. "I'll be back to normal in half an hour. Anyone would have done the same, what with Jake and Ness-" Seth cut himself off from that controversial path and quickly changed topic. "I mean, at least you didn't bite me or anything. That would've sucked."

Not the best choice of alternative.

Bella buried her face in her hands and shuddered at the thought.

"I'm a bad person," she moaned.

"Of course you aren't," Edward assured her. "I should have-"

"Stop that," Bella sighed, cutting Edward off. I remembered what I was supposed to be doing, and went back to my work when Seth decided to break the awkward silence.

"Lucky thing Ness- Renesmee's not venomous," he said. "'Cause she bites Jake all the time."

"She does?" Bella gasped, her hands dropping away from her face.

"Sure; whenever he and Rose don't get dinner in her mouth fast enough – Rose thinks it's pretty hilarious."

The telephone was ringing – again. I tried to ignore it, but it was difficult. I felt bad for keeping this from Charlie. It was different for Esme and Edward – they had no one left – and different again for Rosalie and Emmett, who had been taken far from their families to be changed, and then again for Alice and Jasper: we were the only family they knew. Bella's situation was hauntingly similar to my own in that our family – or rather, our fathers and closest friends – were close enough to touch…but also close enough to kill. I remembered standing at the edge of the graveyard, watching my father's funeral, and shivered. I brought myself back to the present, but not before I could imagine Bella standing in my place, watching the Blacks and the Clearwaters bury her father.

And worse, staging a funeral for Bella.

Edward gave me a little kick from the lounge, and I apologised silently. I gave Seth's arm a quick re-examination, which heartened me, and at last stood back.

"Well, Seth, I think that's as much as I can do," I concluded. "Try not to move for…oh, a few hours, I guess. I wish treating humans were this instantaneously gratifying. _Stay still."_

"Stay still," I insisted, before disappearing upstairs: it was almost time to measure Ness- _Renesmee. _I should get out of the nickname habit: she was Bella's daughter after all, and we really had no right to decide our own name for the child. If Bella minded enough to attack her best friend over it – granted, she was fairly angry already – it wasn't worth pushing the idea.

.o.o.o.

As I headed downstairs again, I noted the unusually copious amount of equipment in my arms and wondered where Esme had disappeared to: it was unlike her to miss a measuring session. Recalling, however, that Alice had made some last-minute design instructions to Bella's gift, and that today was the grand reveal, I found my answer. Nevertheless, there was quite the crowd in attendance when I returned to the lounge: Rosalie and Jacob were in the doorway with Renesmee, Jasper at Bella's side, and even Leah sitting by the window with an expression preempting boredom on her face.

"Must be six," Edward murmured, for Bella's benefit though he flashed a lop-sided grin at me: I had maintained to-the-second precision in my measurements, determined that they be absolutely correct.

"So?" Bella wondered, staring at her daughter. She didn't approach.

"Time to measure Ness- Renesmee," I explained, gesturing to my armful of equipment.

"Oh. You do this every day?"

"Four times a day," I corrected, motioning the others into the lounge. Nessie- _Renesmee, _sighed. I think she even rolled her eyes at me. I smiled back at her.

"Four times? Every day? _Why?"_

I left Edward to explain and started measuring, my smile becoming more grim as he detailed the more serious aspects of Renesmee's growth: not least, the fact that should it continue – even as the rate appeared to be very slowly decreasing – she would be dead before Charlie. Bella would lose her daughter within thirty years – not to mention Renesmee would never get to see her own children grow up, if she had any, and would never get to live in one place for more than a few months, if that. I thought of Esme: frozen forever at twenty-six. She had tried to kill herself – and indeed would have died - at that age because she had nothing left to live for. Nessie would appear an old woman by that age: she may not have any other option.

"What do we do?" Bella whispered, horrified.

"I don't know," Edward replied, his voice strained.

"It's slowing," Jacob insisted, with the same attitude – optimism? Stubbornness? - he had maintained since our initial revelation.

"We'll need several more days of measurements to track the trend, Jacob," Edward pointed out. "I can't make any promises."

"Yesterday she grew two inches. Today it's less."

"By a thirty-second of an inch, if my measurements are perfect," I put in reluctantly, lowering the tape.

"_Be _perfect, Doc," Jacob almost threatened.

"You know I'll do my best," I assured him. He sighed.

"Guess that's all I can ask."

So much hope was resting on the slowing of Renesmee's growth. One thirty-second of an inch was too slow. But what could I do about it? Where did that leave us? How could we stand to just wait? 

Suddenly, Jasper's teeth snapped together. Instantly the room was on alert.

"What did I do?" Bella asked, staring flatly at Edward from the confines of Jasper's restrictive embrace.

"She was remembering being thirsty," Edward muttered. "She was remembering the taste of human blood."

Jasper's arms tightened around Bella's.

"Yes," Bella noted. "And?"

Edward's face lightened, and his frown disappeared. He laughed once.

"And nothing at all, it seems. The overreaction is mine this time. Jazz, let her go," he instructed. Jasper let his arms drop, and Bella instantly reached out for her daughter. Edward handed Nessie over without hesitation, and Jasper grimaced. For an instant, like a clap of thunder, the mood of the room darkened.

"I can't understand." Jasper shook his head. "I can't bear this." He turned and disappeared out the back door, leaping effortlessly over the river and running, alone with his tumultuous thoughts, into the trees.

"He'll be back," Edward assured us. "He just needs a moment a moment alone to readjust his perspective on life."

"Is he mad at me?" Bella asked quietly.

"No. Why would he be?"

"What's the matter with him, then?"

"He's upset with himself, not you, Bella. He's worrying about…self-fulfilling prophecy, I suppose you could say."

"How so?" I inquired.

"He's wondering if the newborn madness is really as difficult as we've always thought, or if, with the right focus and attitude, anyone could do as well as Bella. Even now, perhaps he only has such difficulty because he believes it's natural and unavoidable. Maybe if he expected more of himself, he would rise to those expectations. You're making him question a lot of deep-rooted assumptions, Bella."

"But that's unfair. Everyone is different; everyone has their own challenges." I sighed, wishing Jasper were here to hear me: he trusted me, looked up to me. Maybe he would feel better about himself if I could speak to him. My mind began to generate theories, and so I continued: "Perhaps what Bella is doing goes beyond the natural. Maybe this is her gift, so to speak."

"That's an interesting theory, and quite plausible," Edward murmured. "Have you ever seen an equivalent to self-control as a talent? Do you really think that's a gift, or just a product of all her preparation?" He tilted his head slightly to the side, examining my thoughts as I pondered his questions. For the benefit of everyone else in the room, I shrugged. The speculations rolled as, safe in the knowledge that Bella's attention was sufficiently occupied, Edward, Rosalie and I awaited Esme and Alice's return to celebrate Bella's birthday – hopefully having already dealt with the day's catastrophes.


	66. Bella's Birthday II

**AN ~ I know, I'm on a roll! In honour of the teaser trailer for BD that was released today (EEEEP!) I bring you some lovely familyness from the happy times in Breaking Dawn**

**(Enjoy them while they last! Muah ha haaaaa)**

Chapter Sixty Six: Bella's Birthday, II

Esme:

I held up the next painting and looked to Alice, who was busy aligning Nessie's crib against the wall. Without even glancing at it, she said, "Lounge." I smiled. Exactly what I'd been thinking.

I returned down the hall to hang the painting in the lounge, all the while being extra careful not to scratch the wall or even slightly marr the frame – which I was holding a little tightly in my excitement over my second chance to celebrate Bella's birthday, this time hopefully more successfully. When I arrived, I found Jasper sitting on the lounge, frowning slightly at the floor between his knees. Unusually, his mood didn't touch me. I frowned: he must be working very hard to keep it in after such an emotional few days, few weeks. He had been anxious about Bella lately, but now he had a notable forlorn air which made my heart ache. Resting the painting against the arm of the lounge, I slid in beside him and put one hand on his knee.

"Jasper," I murmured. "What's wrong?" Clearly he had to talk to me, or Alice would have come out here. And yet, I wasn't sure what to say: Jasper was an independent boy, less emotionally vulnerable than Carlisle or Edward or even Emmett – though it made me feel bad that most of that independence had come from his time in the Southern Armies.

"I don't know," he replied after a moment. "It's Bella, but...it's me. What she did this morning – running away from those hunters – I don't know how she did it, but I don't know why I couldn't. I mean I know about Maria, and Bella's psychological preparation, and all those theories Carlisle wants to try to reassure me with. I know. But this level of control is just not natural."

I hadn't considered this yet. With all our hopes and fears about Bella and Renesmee, Bella's extraordinary ability had largely passed us by, and Jasper's warnings about its likely short lifespan had been largely ignored. Before I could reach a point of agreement in my own mind, Jasper went on:

"Think about it," he said, an edge biting his tone as he now glared aggressively at the carpet, his foot bouncing in frustration. "If it was a matter of compassion, why did Carlisle find his transition so difficult? A matter of love and support, of premeditation? I had my army days, but why did Alice find it so hard? D'you see?"

"Carlisle and Edward think it could be her ability," I offered, trying to fight the inclination to be restless and frustrated, which Jasper was no longer reining in with his former efficiency. "It seems plausible; the combination of all those things..."

"On top of the mind-shield?"

To this I had no answer at all. Building theories, speculation, was more Carlisle's specialty than mine, and frankly I was glad we'd got Bella through this in one piece; her control and her abilities were all extras, and should they fall in a heap tomorrow, well, it was good of them to last thus far. But when the matter was causing stress to one of my own – to Jasper, who had done so well to put up with all our fussing and fighting in the last few weeks – I was suddenly irritated that I couldn't come up with a solution.

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders instead, and gently hummed a song from my early days until I felt his muscles relax a little. He sighed, reluctantly releasing his obsession, and I smiled to myself, letting the warmth I felt at helping my son fill me up, and hopefully warm him too.

"Some things we must accept without question," I advised. "When the time comes, they will work out for better or for worse, and from there, we will move forward. No-one can ask anything more of anyone. I'll do everything I can to help you make peace with this, Jasper, and I want very much for you to be happy again..." I took a deep breath, and decided to try something. "But it's Bella's birthday and this time around I'm determined to step up on the last."

With one last squeeze of his shoulders, I hopped up from the couch and picked up the painting, then paused as I waited for his response. Thankfully, he took my comment the way I had intended it; as a distraction and invitation rather than a stab at his – at all of our - slip up two years ago. A smile cracked his dark expression and he followed me away from the lounge.

"You're giving her a house, Esme," he said. "Not much stepping up can be done from this point."

"Just hang the painting!" I pressed it into his hands and shooed him towards the chosen wall. "The sun's setting and I want them moved in tonight!"

I busied myself hanging the last few in the dining room and double-checking the arrangement of the kitchen; while I was bustling around the cupboards, Alice stuck her head in, offered me a wink, and then skipped away to find her tall blond shadow.

.o.o.o.

"Oh it looks wonderful!" I declared beholding the front of our marvelous creation, taking in all its vibrant colours and smells.

"She's going to _love _this," Alice squealed, clapping her hands together in excitement. "C'mon Jazz, smile."

Jasper did crack a smile at Alice's request, and she laughed and leant up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.

"That's better, bro," Emmett commented, slapping Jasper on the shoulder in a brotherly gesture as he passed before we all set off – in a loose formation for instinct's sake – towards the house. When we came in sight of it, glowing like a beacon in the increasingly deep purple of the night, we accelerated.

"Got the key?" Alice asked. I pulled it out of my pocket and tossed it to her. She caught it and wrapped a massive pink bow around it before slowing and skipping up to the door. Carlisle smiled when he saw me, and the rest of the family was soon smiling along. Bella was bewildered.

"Happy Birthday!" Alice squealed, dropping the key into Bella's open hand. Bella rolled her eyes.

"No one starts counting on the actual _day_ of birth," she said. "Your first birthday is at the year mark, Alice."

"We're not celebrating your vampire birthday. Yet," Alice explained, her grin turning smug. "It's September thirteenth, Bella! Happy nineteenth birthday!"

Her face went as white as a sheet.

"No. No way!" Bella objected, shaking her head vigorously. "No, this doesn't count. I stopped aging three days ago. I am eighteen forever."

"Whatever," Alice shrugged. "We're celebrating anyway, so suck it up."

Bella sighed, admitting defeat, and Alice's grin widened even further.

"Are you ready to open your present?" she asked.

"Present_s," _Edward corrected, pulling a key from his own pocket.

"Mine first," Alice insisted. She stuck her tongue out in indignation, having foreseen Edward's answer.

"Mine is closer," he said.

"But look at how she's _dressed!" _Alice moaned dramatically. "It's been killing me all day. That is clearly the priority – I know, I'll play you for it. Rock, paper, scissors." Jasper chuckled and Edward sighed.

"Why don't you just tell me who wins?" Edward suggested reluctantly, making Alice grin.

"I do. Excellent."

"It's probably better that I wait for morning anyway," Edward said, smiling crookedly at Bella. He nodded towards Jacob and Seth, both fast asleep on the lounge. "I think it might be more fun if Jacob was awake for the big reveal, don't you agree? So that someone there is able to express the right level of enthusiasm?"

Bella grinned back at him as though the two of them were sharing a private joke. This just made my smile bigger – I think I was purring as Carlisle wrapped his arms around me. In that moment, I felt more alive and carefree than I had in months!

"Yay!" Alice sang gleefully. "Bella, give Ness- Renesmee to Rosalie."

"Where does she usually sleep?" Bella asked. Alice shrugged.

"In Rose's arms. Or Jacob's. Or Esme's. You get the picture. She has never been set down in her entire life. She's going to be the most spoiled half-vampire in existence."

"She is also the most _un_spoiled half-vampire in existence," Rosalie pointed out. "The beauty of being one of a kind."

"Let's go, let's go," Alice begged, shoving the key into Bella's hands and pulling her towards the back door.

"Is it outside?" Bella asked, a little flustered.

"Sort of." Alice pushed her forward.

"Enjoy your gift," Rosalie said, honestly cheerful. Apparently things were patching up between those two. "It's from all of us – Esme especially." I squirmed in Carlisle's arms at this compliment; I felt like I should have been blushing.

"Aren't you coming too?" Bella wondered.

"We'll give you a chance to appreciate it alone," Rose said. "You can tell us about it…later." Emmett couldn't hold in his snort of laughter any longer, but Bella didn't seem too suspicious: she just grinned as Alice dragged her out the door. Edward followed them, and once he was clear of the house, we all burst into laughter.

"Rest in peace, little cottage," Emmett said with mock solemnity, saluting in the general direction of Bella and Edward's new house.

"Just because _you _wrecked all the houses I ever built you…" I grumbled, lifting Renesmee from Rosalie's arms and settling into a gentle rocking motion as I spoke.

"If that house is still standing in the morning, I'll give you a million bucks," Jasper put in.

"My island house was almost unscathed," I pointed out.

"There are three reasons that's void," Rosalie pointed out. "One: it's _your _house – Edward would have been extra careful. Two: Bella was still human – now she's less destructible than the house, and three: I_ highly doubt_ that's still the original house." Her suspicious eyes flicked from me to Carlisle and back. Carlisle cleared his throat and Emmett and Jasper tried to restrain – or at least muffle – their laughter. Even I struggled not to grin at my poor husband.

"Yes, well…" he started. He couldn't finish, though. It was totally true: we had indeed broken a house. We hadn't completely demolished it, as Emmett and Rose had developed the habit of doing, but one side had been left damaged quite beyond repair. It had been a really lovely design too.

"My point exactly." Rosalie nodded, and then leaned up to kiss Emmett. Just before their lips met, Jasper cleared his throat loudly.

"On the subject of wrecking houses!" he interrupted. Rose and Emmett broke away laughing, and disappeared from the room to do God-knows-what. Frankly, I was more preoccupied by the warmth that was Renesmee – _my very own grand daughter - _settling herself against my chest and yawning quietly. I rocked her gently from side to side, murmuring a lullaby under my breath as I wandered into the next room.

Carlisle followed a few seconds later, watching me walk around the room in circles with Renesmee in my arms, not interrupting. I shot a glance at him every now and then, and I could tell he was wishing he could let me do this with my own child. Now the longing was not just for my sake though: he wanted to know what it would have been like to have a child. I stopped when I reached him, and offered up the sleeping Renesmee. He half-smiled at me, and rested Nessie against his own chest. He leant forward slightly and I came up the rest of the way to meet his lips. When we parted, I drifted from the room with the kiss lingering on my lips, leaving my beautiful husband alone with his granddaughter – a term I'm not sure he was entirely familiar with yet.


	67. Too Many Cooks

Chapter Sixty Seven: Too Many Cooks

Carlisle:

Quite out of the blue, a soft hand all but punched me in the nose. I jerked my head away, and Nessie – _Renesmee, _as Bella wished - wailed and grabbed at my collar. I rocked from side to side, bouncing gently, in an effort to sooth her, but I myself was beginning to worry: Renesmee hadn't acted this much like a normal child since she was only a day old – ever since she had figured out how to project images into our heads, she had been a quiet, if still demanding, baby.

"_Lavender's blue..." _I murmured as I eased her hand off my shirt. _"Rosemary's green..."_

I pressed her fingers to my cheek, and my mind was flooded with images of Bella – both bloody and broken, and newborn, happy and violent. Anything to ensure that I knew what she wanted. I smiled down at her; finally, something simple.

"Your mother is busy, darling," I told her. "I'm sure she'll be here soon."

Using skills I had practiced over many years with Edward, I attempted to project this in images, a format I hoped Nes – Renesmee might better understand. Whether she did or not, she was having none of my reassurance. She hammered her tiny fists against my chest with a fury I had never seen in her.

"Carlisle?" Esme stuck her head in, and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"She wants Bella," I explained. Esme swept towards me and lifted our granddaughter from my arms. There was not even a moment's respite from her cries. Esme carried her back into the living room, and I followed, oddly relieved as everybody fussed around this child, trying to belay a simple need of an average child.

"Alice? Any ideas?" Rose requested. Alice shut her eyes – she found it hard to 'see' around Renesmee, and it frustrated her. While Alice tried to think of something, Rose and Emmett offered her niece human food and blood and every toy she had, but Renesmee just wanted Bella.

Alice waved a dismissive hand towards the kitchen. Esme almost immediately followed it, to pull a box down from the top shelf of the pantry. From that, she withdrew a long, flat package. She took a silver spoon out of it and offered it to Renesmee, who instantly stopped wailing. She studied it for a moment, and then reached her hand out for it. Esme willingly surrendered her second-best silver pieces, one after the other, and the family drifted towards Renesmee to watch her. Alice, Jasper, Esme and I sat on the lounge, while Rose and Emmett hovered over their niece. Suddenly, Nessie chucked the mangled spoon onto the floor and pointed towards the doorway, demanding something – Bella, who was just stepping over the threshold. We had to laugh. Bella scooped up her daughter, smiling widely, and Renesmee touched her mother's cheek.

"How long as she been up?" Bella asked, as Edward disappeared into the kitchen.

"Just a few minutes," Rose replied. "We would have called you soon. She's been asking for you – _demanding _might be a better description. Esme sacrificed her second-best silver to keep the little monster entertained," she explained light-heartedly. "We didn't want to…er, bother you." Rosalie bit back her laughter, and Emmett started silently laughing too. Bella heard, but pretended not to notice.

"We'll get your room set up right away," she said, concentrating on her daughter. "You'll like the cottage, it's magic." She looked up at Esme and thanked her, but before Esme could respond, Emmett's booming laughter drew everyone's attention.

"So it's still standing?" he managed, between snickers. "I would've thought you two had knocked it to rubble by now. What were you doing last night? Discussing national debt?" He howled with laughter, unable to control himself any longer. I allowed myself a smile: perhaps Esme and I would no longer be the most popular candidates for immature jokes.

"Where're the wolves today?" Bella asked suddenly, glancing out the side wall.

"Jacob took off this morning pretty early," Rosalie explained, a crease appearing in her forehead. I had missed Jacob's exit – I wonder what went on. "Seth followed him out."

"What was he so upset about?" Edward effortlessly joined the conversation as he returned to the room. Bella handed her daughter to Rose, not wanting to risk feeding her.

"I don't know – or care," Rosalie muttered, in reply to Edward's question. "He was watching Nessie sleep, his mouth hanging open like the moron he is, and then he just jumped to his feet without any kind of trigger – that I noticed, anyway – and stormed out. _I _was glad to be rid of him. The more time he spends here, the less chance there is that we'll _ever_ get the smell out."

"Rose," Esme gently scolded. Rosalie flipped her hair dismissively.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. We won't be here much longer."

"I still say we go straight to New Hampshire and get things set up," Edward put in. "Bella's already registered at Dartmouth. Doesn't look like it will take her all that long to be able to handle school.

"I'm sure you'll ace all your classes," Emmett teased. "Apparently there's nothing interesting for you to do at night besides study."

Rosalie giggled. Bella kept surprisingly calm, despite her tense muscles, but Edward growled viciously, his whole expression screaming murderous fury. Alice jumped to her feet, confirming something deeper than banter was going on here.

"What is he _doing?" _she cried exasperatedly. "What is that _dog _doing that has erased my schedule for the entire day! I can't see _anything!" _Suddenly, she stopped ranting and froze, shooting Bella a tortured expression, which melted into a characteristic dramatic pout. "No!" she gasped. "Look at you! You _need _me to show you how to use your closet."

Edward was not distracted. His hands balled up into fists.

"He talked to Charlie," he snarled darkly. "He thinks Charlie is following after him. Coming here. Today."

Esme's hands flew to her mouth, and Alice swore in her soprano octave before flying out the back door.

"He told Charlie?" Bella gasped, horrified. "But doesn't he understand? How could he do that? No!"

Panic spread. I took a deep breath in, and forced myself to control my expression. If Charlie did know about us, the Volturi would take care of him too. We wouldn't be able to save him, even if every one of us died in the attempt: rules are rules. I closed my eyes for a moment and prayed with all my heart that Jacob hadn't told Charlie everything.

"Jacob's on his way now," Edward warned through clenched teeth. Sure enough, Jacob arrived within the next minute or so. He jumped through the doorway, shaking his head vigorously. Droplets of water flew around the room from his wet hair. He was grinning victoriously, and moved jerkily, as if he were tremendously excited by something.

"Hey guys," he greeted us.

He honestly had _no clue _what he had just done.

Leah and Seth slipped into the room, in their human forms but prepared to defend their still-smiling leader from any attack.

"Rose," Bella demanded, jaw clenched. Rosalie surrendered Renesmee without objection. Bella clutched her daughter tightly to her chest, a constant reminder to keep her behaviour under control.

"Charlie'll be here soon," Jacob said casually, apparently oblivious to the fury on Bella and Edward's faces – not to mention, the rest of our eyes like rifle sights, trained on him. Though she stood a foot away from me, I could feel Esme bristling with rage and shock and fear. How could Jacob be missing this?

"Just a heads up," he continued cooly. "I assume Alice is getting you sunglasses or something?"

"You assume _way _too much," Bella spat through clenched teeth. "What. Have. You. _Done?"_

I ground my teeth together. _Don't be mad, he didn't know. It's too late now anyway – be practical._Edward shot me a worried glance as I flipped through possible explanations. I couldn't think of anything Charlie could even possibly fall for, even if he knew nothing about vampires.

"Blondie and Emmett woke me up this morning going on and on about how you were all moving cross-country. Like I could let you leave. Charlie was the biggest issue there, right? Well, problem solved!"

"Do you even _realise _what you've done?" Bella demanded. "The danger you've put him in?"

I was impressed at how controlled she managed to keep herself. I was even more surprised at Edward's restraint though: he had a clear path to Jacob, who snorted and rolled his posture from one hip to another.

"I didn't put him in danger," he said casually, still talking to Bella. "Except from you, but you've got some kind of supernatural self-control, right? Not as good as mind reading if you ask me. Much less exciting."

Edward stormed across the room and bared his teeth in Jacob's face, somehow managing intimidation though he was at least ten inches shorter than the Quileute.

"It's just a _theory, _mongrel!" he snarled. "You think we should test it out on _Charlie?_ Did you consider the physical pain you're putting Bella through, even if she can resist? Or the emotional pain if she doesn't? I suppose what happens to Bella no longer concerns _you!"_

Jacob's face dropped slightly, then lifted again, and then his mouth dropped into a frown, the cheery mood of a moment ago having vapourised at Edward's words. He shrunk in that moment, and his eyes flitted around the room over the rest of us, and I could hear his heart accellerate.

"Bella will be in pain?" Jacob squeaked.

"Like you've shoved a white-hot branding iron down her throat!"

"I didn't know that."

There was a metallic screech as Edward ground his teeth together. "Then perhaps you should have asked first."

"You would have stopped me." As if that was a justification?

"You _should _have been stopped-"

"This isn't about me," Bella interrupted, voice trembling on the line between screaming and tears. "This is about Charlie, Jacob. How could you put him in danger this way? Do you realise it's death or vampire life for him now, too?"

"Relax, Bella. I didn't tell him anything you weren't planning to tell him," Jake assured us.

"But he's coming here!"

"Yeah, that's the idea. Wasn't the whole 'let him make the wrong assumptions' thing in your plan? I think I provided a very nice red herring, if I do say so myself."

"Say it straight, Jacob. I don't have the patience for this."

"He phased in front of Charlie," Edward hissed.

"You _what?" _Bella whispered, horrified.

I hung my head. How – _how – _could we ever get out of this? Aro would wring my neck. _Please God, give him no reason to come here._

"He's brave," Jacob went on. "Brave as you are. Didn't pass out or throw up or anything. I gotta say, I was impressed. You should've seen his face what I started taking my clothes off though – priceless."

"You absolute _moron!" _Bella roared. "You could've given him a heart attack!"

"Charlie's fine," Jacob continued. "He's tough. If you'd give this just a minute, you'll see that I did you a favour here."

I watched his blasé expression with horror. In my head, I could only see Aro, and Marcus, and Caius.

"You have half of that, Jacob." Bella's tone reflected the ice I could feel seizing my long-empty veins as Esme haltingly backed into me, seizing my hand with the force of a Boa Constrictor. Her eyes were locked on Bella as the raven haired newborn stalked towards her Quileute friend, pure vampiric fury almost crackling in the air between them.

"You have thirty seconds to tell me every single word before I give Renesmee to Rosalie and rip your miserable head off. Seth won't be able to stop me this time."


	68. Building Half a Lie

**AN ~ OH MY GOD HOW AWESOME IS BREAKING DAWN?!**

**Needless to say, I died several times over watching that. But I'll say nothing more about it now, because apparently there are some people left on Earth who haven't seen it. And of course, Stars is entirely spoiler-free since it completely follows the book canon.**

**Plus – I'm alive! Sorry I've been so long, but year 12 was REALLY taxing (I finish in 3 days YAY!) and what time I have had I have been mostly channeling into Doctor Who fics. Anyway, BDII inspired me to write some Twilight stuff but its all frameworks for now coz I'm in the middle of NaNoWriMo – 50K novel in a month! I'm nuts!  
**

**Anyway, you guys have BDII and a guest reader who dropped me two inspiring reviews the other day to thank for this chapter. I know it's not the best, but I plan to bring you some new, more original and better stuff in a few weeks (ie after NaNo)**

**If anyone has stuck with me through this accidental 5 month (?! SORRY) hiatus, I LOVE YOU**

Chapter Sixty Eight: Building Half a Lie

Carlisle:

"Jeez Bells, you didn't used to be so melodramatic. Is that a vampire thing?" Jake asked, apparently trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"Twenty six seconds," Bella growled. Jacob rolled his eyes and flopped into the nearest chair. Seth and Leah shifted closer to their leader, still ready for the attack.

"So I knocked on Charlie's door this morning and asked him to come for a walk with me. He was confused, but when I told him about you and that you were back in town, he followed me out to the woods. I told him you weren't sick anymore, and that things were a little weird, but good. He was about to take off to see you, but I told him I had to show him something first. And then I phased."

Bella forced her jaw to keep shut. Edward was twitching with rage. I'm sure that, if it weren't for Bella and the fact that the Chief of Police would arrive in a few minutes, he would have no trouble tearing out Jacob's jugular. His eyes flickered to my face and he too clenched his jaw.

_I appreciate the restraint, _I told him. He nodded slightly, unable to make himself smile. Esme slipped her hands onto my lap, staring Jake and Bella with the most horrified expression on her face.

"…he wanted to know what I meant by 'change,' and I told him that you looked a lot more like Esme now than you looked like Renée," Jake was saying. Esme started at this, her eyes darting to Edward's face. Edward's eyes tightened and he let out a low, controlled hiss.

"After a few minutes he asked, real quietly, if you turned into an animal too," Jake continued, apparently unfazed. "And I said; 'she wishes she was that cool!'"

Rosalie gagged. I twitched in my seat. When Bella finished with him, I might just give that boy a piece of my mind. I could understand asking Charlie over when he did not understand the consequences, but hadn't it been expressed that we could all _die _because of this? A low growl began to build in my throat – no threat to _my _family was going to sit on _my_ lounge chuckling about it.

"I started to tell him more about werewolves," Jake continued, "but I didn't even get the whole word out. Charlie cut me off and said he'd 'rather not know the specifics.'"

Esme sighed, all the tension in her posture released, and her head fell onto my shoulder. I took deep breath: so Charlie didn't know _everything. _Crisis could be avoided.

"Then he asked if you'd known what you were getting yourself into when you married Edward, and I said; 'sure, she's known all about this for years, since she first came to Forks,'" Jacob continued. "He didn't like _that _very much. I let him rant till he got it out of his system. After he got calmed down, he just wanted two things. He wanted to see you, and said it would be better it he gave me a head start to explain."

Bella took a deep breath.

"What was the other thing he wanted?" she asked, focusing on staying calm.

"You'll like this," Jacob said with a smile. "His main request is that he be told as little as possible about _all _of this. If it's not absolutely essential for him to know something, then keep it to yourself. Need to know only."

"I can handle that part."

Jacob's smile became a smug grin. "Other than that, he'd just like to pretend things are normal."

"What did you tell him about Renesmee?"

"Oh yeah. I told him that you and Edward had inherited a new little mouth to feed. She's your orphaned ward, like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. I didn't think you'd mind me lying. That's all part of the game, right?" Jacob waited for Edward to respond, but he did not, so Jake went on. "Charlie was way past being shocked at this point, but he did ask if you were adopting her. 'Like a daughter? Like I'm sort of a grandfather?' were his exact words. I told him yes. 'Congrats, Gramps' and all of that. He even smiled a little."

"But she's changing so fast," Bella whispered, her voice trembling a little.

"I told him that she was more special than all of us put together," Jacob said in a soft voice. Esme lifted one of her hands to her mouth, and I thought she might start sobbing at the sweetness of the moment as Jacob approached Bella, waving off his guards.

"I told him; 'trust me, you don't want to know about this. But if you can ignore all the strange parts, you're going to be amazed. She's the most wonderful person in the whole world,'" Jacob continued, his voice still soft and calm. "And then I told him that if he could deal with that, you all would stick around for a while and he would have a chance to get to know her but that if it was too much for him, you would leave. He said as long as no one forced too much information on him, he'd deal."

I let out a deep breath, emptying my lungs completely. Esme squeezed my hand with her free one; the other, she had curled under her nose in an attempt to stop herself making a sound as Bella and her best friend looked at each other with a level of understanding and respect – love, even – that no werewolf or vampire had ever shown the other before.

"I'm not going to thank you," Bella said quietly, as thought the words were hard to say. "You're still putting Charlie at a huge risk."

"I _am_ sorry about it hurting you," Jacob added, as though the topic had temporarily slipped from his mind earlier. "I didn't know it was like that. Bella, things are different with us now, but you'll always be my best friend, and I'll always love you. But I'll love you the right way now. There's finally a balance. We _both _have people we can't live without. Still friends?"

He held out his hand in a gesture of offering, and Bella allowed herself a tiny smile. Esme shuffled in her seat so that she was leaning diagonally, her head on my chest, looking at Bella and Jacob as though she had seen nothing sweeter in all her years as Bella took Jacob's hand.

"If I don't kill Charlie tonight, I'll consider forgiving you for this," Bella said.

"_When _you don't kill Charlie tonight, you'll owe me huge." Bella rolled her eyes good-naturedly, but when Jacob asked to hold Renesmee, Bella's reply was a firm warning. He did not risk pushing the idea. Wise of him."

Alice sprinted back into the room at that moment, and glared at the wolves.

"You, you, and you," she instructed briskly, "if you must stay, get over in the corner and commit to being there for a while. I need to _see. _Bella, you'd better give him the baby, too. You'll need your arms free, anyway."

Jacob grinned in triumph. Bella looked terrified. Her eyes slowly widened, and her controlled breaths turned into gasps.

"Take her," she whispered, surrendering Renesmee immediately. Jacob and Seth slouched on the floor in the corner, but Leah stiffly asked her leave, before storming off into the forest. She was not prepared to be ordered around by vampires – it was fair enough. In fact, it was probably for the best. Charlie's amiable acceptance of this whole situation could just be a stage of shock; who knew what might happen when he realised it was all real.

Esme sat upright again, but now with a warm, comfortable smile. Here came the challenge of attempting to teach Bella techniques that had taken us each years to perfect, in a matter of minutes.

"You can do this," Edward assured Bella quietly. "I know you can. I'll help you; we all will. If I didn't believe you could handle it, we'd disappear today. This very minute. But you can, and you'll be happier if you can have Charlie in your life."

Esme nodded fervently in agreement, her face bright with hope. Alice offered Bella the small white box containing the contacts.

"These will irritate your eyes – they won't hurt, but they'll cloud your vision: it's annoying. They also won't match your old colour, but it's still better that bright red, right?"

She flipped the box into the air, and Bella caught it in a flash.

"When did you-?" Bella started.

"When you left on the honeymoon. I was prepared for several possible futures," Alice explained.

Bella nodded and opened the container. She put the first contact in, and immediately started blinking and tearing up as her eye tried to dislodge the obstruction. I was glad I had never had to use them.

"I see what you mean," she muttered, putting the other one in. This time her reaction was not so bad. Still, I didn't need to be a vampire to notice the distinct rusty colour that the contacts had picked up. It was not like Bella's old colour at all, but it was the best we could do.

"How do I look?" Bella asked, showing off her new eyes.

"Gorgeous," Edward replied. "Of course-"

"Yes, yes, she always looks gorgeous," Alice interrupted impatiently. "It's better than red, but that's the highest commendation I can give. Muddy brown. Your brown was much prettier. Keep in mind that those won't last forever – the venom in your eyes will dissolve them in a few hours, so if Charlie stays longer than that you'll have to excuse yourself to replace them. Which is a good idea, because humans need bathroom breaks – Esme, give her a few pointers on acting human while I stock the powder room with contacts."

"How long to I have?" Esme asked, springing effortlessly to her feet.

"Charlie will be here in five minutes. Keep it simple."

Esme nodded and slid over to Bella, taking her hand.

"The important thing is not to sit too still or move too fast," she instructed gently.

"Sit down if he does," Emmett added. "Humans don't like to just stand there."

"Cross your legs for about five minutes, then switch to crossing your ankles for the next five," Rosalie suggested.

"And blink at least three times a minute," Emmett finished. He turned the television on and his attention was absorbed by a college football game. More and more, I was relaxing into the situation: Charlie liked football, so if he needed something normal to turn to - as many patients I had encountered with extreme shock did – at least that was freely and inconspicuously available. Unfortunately, my ease – and the apparent ease of the whole family – was in itself making me nervous. This was not right...but there was nothing I could to about it but help, so how was I supposed to feel?

"Move your hands, too," Jasper suggested anew. "Brush your hair back or pretend to scratch something."

"I said _Esme," _Alice complained as she returned. "You'll overwhelm her."

"No, I think I got it all," Bella said. "Sit, look around, blink, fidget."

"Right," Esme approved, hugging Bella's shoulders for encouragement. Jasper frowned uncomfortably.

"You'll be holding your breath as much as possible, but you need to move your shoulders a little to make it _look _like you're breathing," he explained.

Edward murmured encouragement to Bella, and Alice dragged her over to the sofa. Bella was apparently trying to appear more clumsy; Alice simply rolled her eyes.

"Jacob, I need Renesmee," Bella said, trying to stop herself from panicking.

"Bella, that doesn't help me see," Alice refused.

"But I _need _her. She keeps me calm."

"Fine," Alice groaned. "Hold her as still as you can and I'll _try _to see around her." She sighed wearily. I could understand her pain: she lived with those visions, and had done for nearly a century, so to have her sighed blurred was, I imagined, the equivalent of myself with dyslexia. I could not imagine that kind of existence, even for a short while. It was good of her to put up with it.

Edward sat down beside Bella and put his arms around them both, then locked his eyes on his daughter's.

"Renesmee, someone special is coming to see you and your mother, but he's not like us, or even like Jacob," he explained, gentle but serious. "We have to be very careful with him. You shouldn't tell him things the way you tell us."

Renesmee touched his face.

"Exactly," he confirmed. "And he's going to make you thirsty, but you mustn't bite him. He won't heal like Jacob."

"Can she understand you?" Bella whispered, as if she were afraid of the baby overhearing.

"She understands," Edward replied. "You'll be careful, won't you Renesmee? You'll help us?"

Renesmee reached for his face again.

"No, I don't care if you bite Jacob. That's fine."

Jacob chuckled, and Edward's cold air immediately returned, his whole body tensing with hatred at the insolent young werewolf.

"Maybe you should leave, Jacob," he suggested, glaring.

"I told Charlie I'd be here," Jake objected. "He needs the moral support."

"Moral support," Edward scoffed. "As far as Charlie knows, you're the most repulsive monster of us all."

"Repulsive?" Jake gasped with mock horror. Then he chuckled quietly to himself.

The room fell silent as everyone listened to Charlie's police cruiser pulling onto the drive.

I rose to my feet and tried to configure my expression. The other sounds faded into the background, and overpowering them all was the crunching of the dirt under Charlie's tyres. Would he be mad at us? Would he be in tears? Would he ever forgive us for what we were taking from him? I took another deep breath, and tracked every smell flowing in. I focused on the cinnamon and roses: Esme's scent. It was so warm and comforting…I needed it.

_Knock, knock, knock._

The sense of anticipation, of looming danger, was overwhelming, but I'd had years of training for this. I lit up my expression, pretending for the moment that the last half-hour had never happened, and forced my tongue to shape the words.

"Hello Charlie."


	69. Red Handed

**AN ~ Hello! I graduated – yay! I start at the University of Western Australia in February! So excited!**

**In the mean time, I hope the Whovians amongst you (I don't know how many of them there are) enjoyed what I posted (which admittedly wasn't much) since November, my last Stars chap, and for those of you who missed it, Life is Harder (my B/E fic) has also been updated.**

**Thanks for your patience with this one guys! Next chap should be up very soon! Anyone know when BD part II DVD comes out?**

**Anywayyyyy we last left with the arrival of Charlie. Things go downhill fast for the Cullens this chap though!**

Chapter Sixty Nine: Red Handed

Carlisle:

"Sure looks a lot like you," Charlie remarked.

He seemed to have handled it all surprisingly well so far, though to say he was comfortable with all of this would be a lie. He'd joined Emmett watching the football eventually – thankfully ignoring the ever-more-inappropriate jokes my son was making – but still, the experienced police officer was not at ease. Now he was being introduced to his granddaughter, though he did not know the truth of it, and of course the entire family was gravitating back to the living room. Esme and I rested on the lounge, I with a book and she with a sketch pad, keeping a hopefully unobtrusive eye and ear on proceedings.

"More like Edward, I think," Bella said casually. "She has your curls." Charlie started, apparently not having noticed, and then snorted.

"Huh. Guess she does," he agreed, not having decided if this was a good thing or a bad thing yet. He shook his head, still trying to comprehend it all. "Huh. Grandpa. Do I ever get to hold her?"

"Here," Bella offered, holding her daughter out for him. She looked just the slightest bit uncomfortable, but she was handling it well. Very impressively, in fact. I smiled gently at her, but she was hopelessly absorbed in her daughter.

"She's…sturdy," Charlie remarked. Bella frowned and twitched her fingers, as if trying to figure out how something so light to her could be so heavy for Charlie. It would take her a while to get used to that – and no doubt Emmett would enjoy it.

"Sturdy is good," Charlie explained, seeing his daughter's expression. He looked back at Renesmee and muttered to himself: "she'll need to be tough, surrounded by all this craziness." He gently bounced his arms, swaying from side to side as he did so. He clearly knew how to handle a child – and I must say it was a little strange, disconcerting even, to see Forks' Police Chief acting so fatherly and soft.

"Prettiest baby I ever saw, including you, kid," Charlie remarked good-naturedly. "Sorry, but it's true."

"I know it is," Bella replied, with the sort of dazed pride on her face that only mothers get. Esme was wearing the same expression at this very moment, captivated by the scene before her as she fixed her sketch without even looking at it. She was proud of Bella – she always had been. Not only that, but now she got the opportunity to watch her grandchild grow up. That thought in itself brought a smile to my face.

"Can I come back tomorrow?" Charlie asked, now unable to take his eyes off Renesmee. If he had loved her before – which he certainly had – he was completely under her spell now.

"Sure, Dad," Bella agreed, unmistakable relief in her tone. "Of course. We'll be here."

"You'd better be," he said sternly. Then, gently: "See you tomorrow, Nessie."

"Not you too!" Bella whined.

"Huh?"

"Her name is _Renesmee. _Like Renée and Esme put together. No variations." Bella tried to soothe herself without taking a deep breath. It wasn't entirely effective, but she did manage to get her voice and expression under control. Once again, I was impressed by her control.

"Do you want to hear her middle name?" Bella offered.

"Sure."

"Carlie. With a C. Like Carlisle and Charlie put together."

I couldn't keep the smile off my face now. Esme poked me in the side with her foot, as I was sitting on the end of the sofa she was lying on, and grinned at me, letting the hair fall like a curtain to conceal her expression from the rest of the room: the smile lit up her entire face, making even her eyes sparkle. I could have kissed her.

Edward hit a wrong note, just to get my attention, and cleared his throat quietly, almost glaring at me from the piano stool, where he now sat, quietly playing to himself. Jasper chuckled.

I quickly lowered my eyes to the page before me, but I was so painstakingly aware of Esme's presence beside me that I could not recall where I was up to. My senses were so heightened that the soft ruffle of her hair falling back into place as she too returned her eyes to her page seemed to whisper in my ear. I shuffled in my seat, and Esme made the faintest – but unusually throaty - chuckling sound.

I'm still not sure whether or not I believe in a sixth sense, but something in a century of experience with him allowed me to feel Edward spare a moment from thoughts of Bella in order to roll his eyes.

.o.o.o.

The next couple of days were fairly peaceful, if a little crowded – Sue Clearwater came often with Charlie, and Jake's small pack frequented the house. Nobody went to school – not even Seth, who was only a young boy. But nobody complained either. There was much more at stake here. The things Renesmee was doing got stranger and stranger as her mind continued to accelerate far beyond her appearance. At one week old, Renesmee had called Bella _'Momma.' _

This rate of growth was bad…very bad. By physical appearance, Nessie would be an adult by four or five years of age, and an old woman by fifteen. Psychologically, she would likely be senile before she even reached her teens. I cringed at the very thought.

Only a week after the 'first word' incident, all sources relevant to half-vampires and other similar anomalies were practically dried up. Edward suggested we travel to Brazil, to the Ticunas. They had legends about children like Renesmee…much more frequent than those mysterious accounts I had researched throughout Bella's pregnancy. Well, 'frequent' is perhaps the wrong word, considering they were separated by a good twenty years at the very least. This very day, Bella had told Edward about Renesmee reading Tennyson's poetry without hesitations or difficulty.

Another week passed, and another, and Renesmee went through thousands of outfits - Rosalie and Alice were creating a baby album that was supposed to span years rather than weeks, and not to mention the rate at which Renesmee grew out of her clothes. By now, she could walk confidently, as well as jump, dance and run. She could speak and write flawlessly, and read effortlessly. She was even starting to learn French. I wouldn't be surprised if she picked up my Latin Canon of Medicine when she was two months old and read it all the way through in one sitting.

We were desperately running out of options. The trip to Brazil was the only chance to find out more about the bizarre phenomenon. In very low voices, so as not to disturb the others, Edward and I discussed our possibilities. The one theory that held up through all criteria was to just change Renesmee when she reached a good physical age. Unfortunately, this had many questions left unanswered. Firstly, Renesmee would actually be only two or three years old before she looked to be in her late teen years. If we changed her then, would the Volturi consider her safe, or was she still a risk? And what would Jacob do? Especially if – or, unfortunately very likely, _when _– Renesmee hurt or killed someone. It would be his duty to destroy her. Would he do it? Would he take one of us instead? Not to mention, it would be cruel and painful to both of them. They loved each other profoundly, even if it was not in the way most wolves loved their imprints. To destroy that would be vicious.

Even more pressing than the need for the trip to Brazil was Bella's need to go to Volterra, to show the Volturi that she had been changed after all, so there was no need to hunt her down. The situation with Charlie and the wolves was fragile at best even with our own considerably compromised understanding: the Volturi, on the other hand, would be ruthless in their inspection and management of every detail, and it would certainly not end well for any of us. In traditional Bella fashion, she insisted that she was to go alone, but of course in traditional Edward fashion, he would have none of it. Especially after Aro's gift arrived; a beautiful necklace inside an almost-as-valuable carved wooden box, with a note that read; _I so look forward to seeing the new Mrs Cullen in person._

Logically, Bella's reasoning did make sense; why should the rest of us be put at risk of an attack from the Volturi when we could just give them what they required and be done with it? All they wanted was proof she was a vampire – at least, that was all they said they wanted. Edward seems certain that they have darker intentions, and I am almost certain they would not be beyond trying to coerce Bella to join them. I highly doubt she would, and so does Edward, but he believes they would attempt to force her. Aro seems unlikely to use blunt force to make someone join his group: no vampire on this earth is as obsessed with collecting talents as Aro, and no talents more desired than Edward's and Alice's, but despite constant pressure, neither has actually been given a life-or-death threat yet.

That said, Aro always has tended to do whatever he fancied, and he had experienced Bella's gift when she was human. Edward was almost certain he would kill to have her. He was absolutely certain she would not go alone. Complicating this, though, there was the problem of her daughter: Renesmee would most certainly captivate Aro's attention. If he saw or heard of her, even in our thoughts, it would be disastrous. And, just in case something did go wrong in Volterra, Bella refused to leave Renesmee without at least one of her parents. In the end, it was decided that I would accompany Bella to London, and she would then make her way to Volterra. I would only be a few hours away. Edward was reluctant, but eventually agreed.

Alice was sure to keep her eye on all of this, of course, but there were many decisions to be made between now and the trip, so she couldn't be certain. After three months of arguments, plans and attempts to smooth out the other storm clouds gathering over the family – especially Renesmee's rapid aging – we arranged all the flights. Jacob was stubbornly against it; almost an exact facsimile of Edward's view. Nevertheless, it was to go ahead.

With that weight off my shoulders, I could relax a little. Jacob, Bella and Renesmee were going hunting today, and all was well again in the world – except for the problem, once again, of Renesmee's accelerated development. For some reason, that seemed small right now. I was going to go for a walk with Esme, just enjoy some quiet time with her. It had been a long time since we were alone. In fact, I don't think we had been since Edward's most recent disappearance, when we had lived with Tanya, Irina and Kate for a while.

"Sorry," Edward interrupted, just as we were about to leave. "I really am, but we've got to sort out Brazil! We're running out of time, Carlisle."

I nodded, understanding. It was true, after all. I glanced back at Esme, who dropped her coat back onto its hook and kissed me on the cheek.

"Go on," she sighed, trying not to sound disappointed. "He needs you – they all need you."

She smiled so that I wouldn't feel so bad about leaving her. As if to prove that she didn't mind, she calmly walked up to her room. I could hear her humming quietly to herself as she worked on some blueprints or sketches or a painting. She turned the CD player on as Edward and I headed into my study.

"I really am sorry. You deserve some time alone, Carlisle. I feel like I'm an obstacle. I just keep getting in the way." He shook his head as he opened my laptop computer and turned it on.

"It's not your fault," I told him, trying not to ponder on the issue. I picked up the paper from the top of the pile and stared at it, pretending to read, as Edward set about his Internet research, also in silence.

Several minutes passed without a word.

"Carlisle?" Edward finally asked.

_Yes. I'm listening. _I lowered my eyes as Edward turned to face me. I could not look at him for fear of losing all composure.

"Do you forgive me?"

_Of course._

"Then why don't you say anything?"

_There's nothing to say. It's not your fault. It cannot be changed._

"Nothing to _say?" _Edward repeated. Suddenly, his cell rung, interrupting our conversation. It was Bella. He flipped it open immediately, and I jumped to attention as she told him about something that had just happened.

_Are they okay? _I pressed Edward. Bella was still talking.

"We'll be there in half a minute," Edward assured her, flying down the stairs without hanging up. I chased him straight away.

"What's going on?" I asked, slamming into him in the doorway. "Who's going where?"

"You and me. We have to help Bella. Irina saw them hunting together."

With that, he shot off into the forest like a bullet from a gun. I sprinted off after him as quickly as I could manage. A moment later, I heard two large wolves running either side of me. No doubt they were Seth and Leah. I leapt over the river, and they crashed through it, and suddenly the greater weight of the situation hit:

Renesmee was in danger. Why else would Jacob have called reinforcements?


	70. Betrayal

**AN ~ Sorry it's been so long, I've been busy and mostly put my ficcing time into my Doctor Who fics but I couldn't help myself anymore coz EEEP got my Breaking Dawn Part II 2-disc special edition yesterday! Pumped to watch it. That was by FAR the most gripping, heart-wrenching, at one point literally heart-stopping of the Twilight movies. Easily the best. I LOVED what they did with it. Can't wait to watch it again!**

**Also, so excited for The Host! Are you?**

Chapter Seventy: Betrayal

Esme:

Staring out the back window, I slowly twisted the tea-towel this way and that in my hands, until it frayed so badly that it simply pulled apart and became the fourth of its unfortunate kind to join the growing pile of tartan fabric at my feet. But then I heard what I had been listening for; saw what I had been watching for. Edward and Carlisle were returning.

The family gathered around, watching too. I straightened, and tugged at my skirt and tried to appear less concerned than I was...but Edward and Carlisle were moving too slowly, barely faster than walking. And Irina was not with them. I looked at Jasper, and he swayed his weight from his left foot to his right, uncomfortable.

Edward was first through the door. He made a bee-line for Bella and Renesmee, and the others followed, firing question after question at him. Carlisle stepped through a few seconds later, crestfallen, his brow furrowed and his hands shaking slightly.

"We couldn't find her," he whispered hoarsely as I folded my hands over his on his chest. "I called Tanya...she hasn't contacted them either. They were distraught." He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Carlisle." I leaned up on my toes and kissed him. "This is not your fault. It's a misunderstanding, that's all."

But a few days later, with the sound of a shattering vase, that misunderstanding would reveal itself to be the greatest threat that our family had ever faced.

"They're coming for us," Alice and Edward said; perfectly, eerily synchronised. "All of them."

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

"The Volturi," Alice groaned.

"All of them," Edward repeated at the same time.

We stood, frozen, and tried to take it all in. I wasn't sure how to react – I guess nobody was. Four months with no problems. Four months of peace. Is that all we got? Our new family?

"Why? How?" Alice muttered to herself.

"When?" Edward whispered.

"Why?" Esme breathed. I wracked my brain for an answer. What had we done, what could we _possibly _have _finally _done to have called this down on ourselves? They could have come after us for letting Bella into the family, for even breathing a word of our secret to her – for letting her live, after having seen anything of what one of us could do. They could have hunted us down after we left Bella, knowing that our ties were broken and that, as a result, she would have no obligation to keep our secret except fear of us – and Aro knows I would never let any of us take a human's life for the sake of our protection.

"_When?" _Jasper pressed. Alice blanked out again, but only for a moment.

"Not long," she and Edward said together.

"There's snow on the forest, snow on the town. Little more than a month," Alice told us, speaking alone now.

"_Why?" _I repeated. With a chill, I remembered the concerns Alice and Edward had raised about the Volturi's conduct regarding Victoria and her army of newborns. I bit my tongue, scolding myself for not having listened earlier. I had too much faith in them; I should have recognised long ago how frayed our friendship had become. I should have intervened sometime, somehow; it was my responsibility to protect this family.

"They _must _have a reason," Esme insisted, her voice quivering with desperation. "Maybe to see-"

"This isn't about Bella," Alice interrupted. "They're all coming. Aro, Caius, Marcus, every member of the guards, even the wives."

"The wives never leave the tower," Jasper said flatly. "Never. Not during the southern rebellion. Not when the Romanians tried to overthrow them. Not even when they were hunting the immortal children. Never."

"But _why?" _I pressed, hoping I did not sound as panicked as I felt. "We've done nothing! And if we had, what could we possibly do that would bring _this _down on us?"

Jasper was right: the wives had not ever left the tower for anything potentially involving a battle. They were fragile creatures, as pale and flimsy as newspaper. If the wives were indeed coming, Aro was not planning a battle. He was planning a show.

"There are so many of us," Edward replied. "They must want to make sure that…"

"That doesn't answer the crucial question!" I objected. "_Why?"_

"Go back, Alice," Jasper pleaded. "Look for the trigger. Search."

"It came out of nowhere, Jazz," Alice said forlornly. "I wasn't looking for them, or even for us. I was just looking for Irina. She wasn't where I expected her to be…" Alice drifted off again for a long while. The rest of us waited with bated breath, until her head suddenly jerked up. Edward's breath caught.

"She decided to go to them," Alice explained bleakly before I could ask. "Irina decided to go to the Volturi. And then they will decide…it's as if they're waiting for her. Like their decision was already made, and just waiting on her…"

I drew breath again, trying to figure out exactly how I felt about this new development. I was worried – terrified, for my family. I was mad at Irina for what she had done, and feeling sorry for her, particularly over the loss of Laurent and how abhorrently unsupportive we had been of her. I did not regret my decision to passively defend the wolves – least of all not after what they did for us. But there was something else, too. Something I had never experienced before.

Betrayal. I felt _betrayed._

"Can we stop her?" Jasper asked, taking the words out of my mouth.

"There's no way," Alice sighed hopelessly. "She's almost there."

"What's she doing?" I asked.

"She's in the mountains," Alice explained, staring through me into the future. "She's mourning. Same as before."

The room lapsed into silence once again. Esme's hands were shaking. Edward watched Bella sadly. Jasper and Alice stood and held each other. For once, Emmett and Rosalie were both stuck for words. Bella instinctively shielded her daughter. I cringed. How terrible it must be to lose a child so quickly.

But no! She is not lost. Surely Aro will hear reason. Renesmee is a fascinating child. Perhaps Irina would mention her, and Aro would be curious. She was certainly worth showing the wives; a new creature, a marvel to make a mark of interest on their long lifelines. As for the numbers - we were a large and empowered coven: perhaps he was deterring us from an attack, or ensuring the numbers to defend against us should we decide on that course of action. Especially if Irina had mentioned, or would mention, the wolves.

_But, _I recalled with a frown, the question remains of why Irina would do such a thing to us in the first place. Though she did not know the extent, she recognised that Aro hungered for the abilities our coven possessed. It was not a short leap, given their nature and history, to assume that he was willing to kill to acquire them if given the chance. For all Irina knew, she could be issuing our death sentences. It would be a sore reflection on my estimations of my friends if an incident such as Laurent's death could drive her to such lengths.

"Think of what she saw that afternoon," Bella suggested gravely, her mind already working on this problem; on the trigger. "To someone who'd lost a mother because of the immortal children, what would Renesmee look like?"

"An immortal child," I murmured. At first it seemed impossible, ridiculous, that Irina could have believed that Renesmee was such a creature...but as I thought about it, the mistake became easier and easier to justify.

I recalled Bella's moment of panic earlier, over Irina's actually bothering to cover up her trail. She hadn't just seen a change in the habits of a certain coven of vampires – after all, she knew us and our rarities well: not much we could have done would have struck her as surprising, least of all so surprising that she could not talk to me about it. But Irina had also seen a child. A beautiful, enchanting child hunting with her vampire mother. From her position on the ridge, it would have been very unlikely that she heard Renesmee's heartbeat or smelt her blood.

And what if, wringing her hands and emotionlessly trekking through the mountains, she had not been mourning Laurent, but _us? _She must have known what would happen. All of us did. Immortal Children were the greatest of curses on our history. The most sacredly adhered to taboo. The Volturi's reaction to the idea was immediate decimation – if not complete destruction.

But perhaps, with all the power gathering around us, she thought that we had – no, that _I _had grown confident enough to perhaps plan an attack of my own, or even simply wait until the Volturi became obsolete; that I thought nothing was beyond me. Not even Immortal Children.

"She's wrong," Bella went on, apparently waiting for some sign that we understood and believed the innocence of her child in this. We did, of course, but the Volturi would not. Esme watched carefully, wishing with all her heart that she could believe the Volturi would listen.

Nobody spoke for a long time, and when they did, I was not paying attention. As far as the Volturi knew, we had the numbers, the powers, the fighting prowess and the cleverness to threaten them if we wished it. Irina knew I had the heart that would make me sympathise with a dying child. She also knew it was my deepest regret that I couldn't give Esme a child. Even if he had been far more ignorant of my character over the years than I believed, Aro had but to touch her hand and know that too. How were either of them to reason that I would not have done it if I truly believed I could? That was all the proof they needed.

_I _was the condemning proof against my own family.

"What can we do?" Bella demanded.

"We fight," Emmett suggested calmly.

"We can't win," Jasper growled, a cry of frustration and a warning.

"Well, we can't run," Emmett muttered. "Not with Demetri around. And I don't know why we _can't _win. We don't have to fight alone."

"We don't have to sentence the Quileutes to death either, Emmett!" Bella snapped.

"Chill, Bella," Emmett shrugged. "I didn't mean the pack – be realistic, though: do you think Jacob or Sam is going to ignore an invasion? Even if it wasn't about Nessie? Not to mention that, thanks to Irina, Aro knows about our alliance with the pack now, too. But I was thinking about our other friends."

"Other friends we don't have to sentence to death." My voice was a solemn echo of Bella's shout. It was bad enough to lose my family…my friends did not have to pay for whatever mistakes had led to this tragedy.

"Hey, we'll let them decide," Emmett suggested. "I'm not saying they have to fight with us. If they'd stand beside us, just long enough to make the Volturi stop and listen. Though that might take away any reason to fight…" Emmett smiled slightly. He was reluctant to miss out on the fight, but he knew it was not the time to mess around. He could actually come up with some clever ideas.

But still…how many vampires would be willing to go up against the Volturi over the blackest crime in our history? Very few bonds of friendship were that strong.


	71. Checkmate

**A/N: Hello everyone! You have been very patient with me (I hope some of you are Doctor Who fans so you've got something out of me lately!) so here is a long-ish chapter for you! It's a bit patchy as this section as so many dramatic moments that would suit an end-of-chapter it was difficult to write. I hope to get the next chapter or two up very soon, maybe even today, as an apology for my heinous lateness.**

**Also, update on Life is Harder...it's nearly finished, I think the next chap will be the last, but it's just not coming to me right now. I don't want to give it a crappy half-assed ending after all this time and effort so bear with me please.**

**Anyway -**

_PREVIOUSLY - CARLISLE POV_

"_What can we do?" Bella demanded._

"_We fight," Emmett suggested calmly._

"_We can't win," Jasper growled, a cry of frustration and a warning._

"_Well, we can't run," Emmett muttered. "Not with Demetri around. And I don't know why we can't win. We don't have to fight alone."_

"_We don't have to sentence the Quileutes to death either, Emmett!" Bella snapped._

"_Chill, Bella," Emmett shrugged. "I was thinking about our other friends."_

"_Other friends we don't have to sentence to death." My voice was a solemn echo of Bella's shout. It was bad enough to lose my family…my friends did not have to pay for whatever mistakes had led to this tragedy._

"_Hey, we'll let them decide," Emmett suggested._

_But how many vampires would be willing to go up against the Volturi over the blackest crime in our history? Very few bonds of friendship were that strong._

Chapter Seventy One - Checkmate

"All we need is for the Volturi to pause for one moment," Esme pleaded with noone. I took one of her hands in mine and felt it clench into a determined fist. "Just long enough to _listen."_

"We'd need quite a show of witnesses," Rosalie snorted.

"We can ask that much of our friends; just to witness." Her hope wavering, she loosened her fist and slipped her fingers between mine. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and drew her closer to me, folding my arms around her hips and sparing a moment from the conversation to kiss her once on top of the head. Usually it was a gesture saved for private moments, but if the others noticed, they showed no sign of it.

"We'd do it for them," Emmett put in.

"We'd have to ask them just right," Alice murmured, falling into another trance. "They'll have to be shown very carefully."

"Shown?" Jasper wondered. In reply, Alice and Edward looked towards Renesmee.

"Tanya's family, Siobhan's coven. Amun's," Alice listed. "Some of the nomads...Garrett and Mary for certain. Maybe Alistair."

I frowned; Alistair would of everyone, be least likely to join us as far as I would have guessed. But then, I had been wrong about a lot of things in the past – increasingly so, it seems, since Bella came into our lives.

"What about Peter and Charlotte?" Jasper asked reluctantly, hoping his oldest friends would be spared. If they were, it would help us maintain the fact that we did not want to fight: they were experienced soldiers, and known rogues to the Volturi. Our trusting them, assembling them, might seem a desperate move. We would risk dangerous misinterpretation – but then, in this situation, there was not a space we could move to in any direction without such risk. Even as we were, we had nothing to lose.

"Maybe," Alice replied neutrally.

"The Amazons?" I inquired. "Kachiri, Zafrina and Senna?" Siobhan's gift would be very helpful, but it would be excellent to have the Amazonians on our side too. Who knows – maybe we wouldn't have to travel to Brazil to learn about the other half-vampires. That is, if there were any.

"I can't see," Alice muttered, frustrated.

"What was that?" Edward pressed, having noticed something. "That part in the jungle? Are we going to look for them?"

"I can't see," Alice repeated, not meeting Edward's eyes. Confusion crossed his features. Esme's fingers dug into my forearm.

"We'll have to split up and hurry, before the snow sticks to the ground," Alice continued. "We have to round up whomever we can and get them here to show them. Ask Eleazer. There is more to this than just an immortal child."

She blinked slowly, coming out of her vision. Her eyes were still strangely distant, but she wasn't entranced. She looked so frightened…Esme stepped forward, breaking out of my arms.

"There is so much," Alice whispered quietly, urgently. "We have to hurry."

"Alice?" Edward pressed. "That was too fast – I didn't understand. What was-?"

"I can't see!" she snapped back immediately, cutting him off. "Jacob's almost here!"

"I'll deal with-" Rosalie took a step towards the door, but Alice cut her off.

"No, let him come," Alice objected quickly. She began dragging Jasper towards the back door. "I'll see better away from Nessie too. I need to go. I need to really concentrate. I need to see everything I can. I have to go. Come on, Jasper, there's no time to waste!"

She jerked impatiently on his hand, and though he was confused, he followed Alice out.

"Hurry! You have to find them all!" Alice cried back to us as they disappeared into the night.

"Find what? Where'd Alice go?" Jacob wondered, shutting the front door behind himself. Apparently unaffected by the ominous atmosphere, Jacob shook the water out of his hair and pulled on his shirt, his eyes on Renesmee, of course.

"Hey Bells!" he cried. "I thought you guys would have gone home by now…"

He looked up at Bella's mortified expression, and froze when it finally hit him. He slowly, fearfully lowered his eyes to the crystal shards all over the floor, and his fingers quivered.

"What?" he demanded. "What happened?" He strode over to Bella and Renesmee. "Is she okay? Don't mess with me, Bella, please!" he cried, his voice full of anguish. With painstaking care, he gently touched Renesmee's forehead and listened carefully to her heart.

"Nothing's wrong with Renesmee," Bella choked at last.

"Then who

"All of us, Jacob. It's over." Bella's voice was like Alice's and Edward's before; the empty, echoing sound of a tomb. "We've all been sentenced to die."

.o.o.o.

I could barely bring myself to explain the situation to Jacob. It only seemed to get worse in the retelling. More real, somehow, closer to home.

Esme stood in my arms as I talked, and then long afterwards. She didn't look at me, nor I her. It seemed that if we stayed as we were, there would be a way out of this, but as soon as we looked at each other and admitted that this could really be the end, we would be trapped.

We spent all night in silence, Jacob's heavy heartbeats – and eventually snores - ticking away until the sun rose, and Alice had still not returned. Her flustered and confusing exit was still on my mind. Jacob had transformed and Sam knew everything now. He was preparing for the invasion, just as Emmett had predicted. There was no hope of talking them out of it – not to mention, we needed them so desperately it was impossible for us to truly wish it. So much for sparing the Quileutes.

"Alice," Edward murmured as the sun broke into the house. His voice cracked the silence like so much ice. Everyone in the room shifted slightly, as if brought back from the dead by the memory of Alice.

"She's been gone a long time," Rosalie remarked, surprised.

"Where could she be?" Emmett wondered, taking a step towards the door. Esme put one hand on the opposite arm, still looking at the floor.

"We don't want to disturb…" she mumbled to herself, as if it didn't really matter anyway.

"She's never taken so long before," Edward said, agitated now. Suddenly, the panicked expression of before was back, fresh fear breaking through the numbness. Like a crack in glass, his alertness flew around the room. "Carlisle, you don't think – something preemptive? Would Alice have had time to see if they sent someone for her?"

Esme sprung straight for the door. I was after her in an instant, and behind us I could hear Emmett swear so loudly Jacob immediately leapt to his feet. The rest of the pack were already in the yard, ready to go.

"Would they have been able to surprise her?" I asked Edward as we ran.

"I don't see how," Edward replied, "but Aro knows her better than anyone else. Better than I do."

"Is this a trap?" Emmett called from behind us – just behind Rosalie, I think.

"Maybe," Edward decided. "There's no scent but Alice and Jasper. Where were they going?"

Alice's and Jasper's trail curved to the east of the house, then north once they crossed the river, and then west again after a few miles. We crossed the river again, approaching the Quileute border.

"Did you catch that scent?" Esme called from the back of the hunting party. Edward ignored all suggestion it could mean something; his concentration was absolute.

"Keep to the main trail," he instructed firmly. "We're almost to the Quileute border. Stay together. See if they turned north or south."

They did not. The trail ran right on over the border, mingling with the wolves' scent. Suddenly, the wolf smell intensified. Edward snapped to attention, immediately halting. The rest of us froze, too.

"Sam, what is this?" Edward asked flatly. Sam came through the forest in his human form, flanked by two wolf guards. His human pace was agonisingly slow. I could almost feel the precious seconds plunging down into the abyss of time, lost forever.

Sam's eyes were locked on mine. He stopped a few metres away and began to speak, all eyes on him.

"Right after midnight, Alice and Jasper came to this place and asked permission to cross our land to the ocean. I granted them that and escorted them to the coast myself. They went immediately into the water and did not return. As we journeyed, Alice told me it was of the utmost importance that I say nothing to Jacob about seeing her until I spoke to you. I was to wait here for you to come looking for her and then give you this note. She told me to obey her as if all our lives depended on it."

Sam's face remained grim as he offered out a folded sheet of paper. It was the copyright page, torn from _The Merchant of Venice, _with something scrawled on the other side. Stiffly, scared of what I might find, I took the paper from Sam. Was it a ransom? A simple threat, maybe from the Volturi?

No. Worse.

_Don't look for us. There's no time to waste._

_R__emember: Tanya, Siobhan, Amun, Alistair, all the nomads you can find. We'll seek out Peter and Charlotte on our way. We're so sorry we had to leave you this way, with no goodbyes or explanations. It's the only way for us. We love you._

I read it again, and again, but nothing changed. It was only black ink scrawled on a page; nothing to read betwee the lines. It was unmistakably Alice's handwriting, and if it had been written under juress she would have left us some sign. Yet there was nothing. No trick, no code, not one hint of where they were. Only one conclusion I could draw.

"Alice has decided to leave us."


	72. Guiding Star

**AN ~ So I've got a new computer which I've been doing basically everything on, and I haven't had a chance to transfer my old stuff. On top of that, my old computer no longer connects to my internet so I have to transfer by USB. Little pieces of annoying that I haven't quite sorted out. Hopefully at least some of you are in the Doctor Who fandom so you would have gotten something out of me (I've got a bunch of new videos too) but if not, I'm super sorry! I have now transferred all of Stars across though and I have a lot of procrastination ahead of me which is a promising combination for you! **

**Anyway**

_Alice has decided to leave us._

Chapter Seventy Two: Guiding Star

Esme:

"What?" Rosalie spluttered. Carlisle held the note out for all of us to read.

_Don't look for us. There isn't time to waste…It's the only way…_

_We love you. _I wrapped my arms around myself as for just a moment, I felt the cold wind against my skin. Alice and Jasper, my children…gone. Lost. Leaving behind the only family either of them had ever known.

"Yes, things are that dangerous," Edward said, turning to face Sam as he responded, I would assume, to one of the werewolf's thoughts.

"Enough that you would abandon your family?" Sam asked, elements of bitterness, but also of apology in his tone, as if he regretted listening to Alice.

"We don't know what she saw," Edward defended his sister firmly. Sam's mouth hardened into a grim frown, the softness of apology dissolving. "Alice is neither unfeeling nor a coward. She just has more information than we do."

"_We _would not-" Sam growled, before Edward cut him off with a sharp hand gesture.

"You are bound differently than we are! _We _each still have our free will!"

Both of them stopped. I looked at Carlisle, who seemed distracted, only belatedly alarmed by the dispute. He tucked the letter into his breast pocket, eyes on the boys, mind somewhere in between.

"But you should heed the warning," Edward went on solemnly. "This is not something you want to involve yourselves in. You can still avoid what Alice saw."

"_We _don't run away," Sam shot back darkly. One of the wolves behind him snorted, apparently approving.

"Don't get your family slaughtered for pride," Carlisle suggested, softly, but with weight. Sam turned to Carlisle with a softer expression now.

"As Edward pointed out, we don't have the same kind of freedom that you have. Renesmee is as much a part of our family as she is yours. Jacob cannot abandon her, and we cannot abandon him."

His eyes flickered over where Alice's note protruded from Carlisle's pocket, and he pressed his lips into a line.

"You don't know her," Edward growled.

"Do you?" Sam challenged.

Behind me, Rose and Emmett shifted uncomfortably, but the bitter silence lasted only a moment before Carlisle intervened, putting a hand on Edward's shoulder.

"We have much to do, son," he insisted. "Whatever Alice's decision, we would be foolish not to follow her advice now. Let's go home and get to work. Thank you Sam."

I took a deep breath to try and ground myself again,but the flood of Alice and Jasper's scent was unexpected and overwhelming. I nearly choked on it, and quickly forced every ounce of air from my lungs as if I could wash the thoughts and worries about them from my mind, but with the rush of air I hiccuped, and it turned into a sob. Once I started, I just couldn't stop.

I felt arms around me – Emmett's, hugging me tightly as he watched the others over my head.

"I'm sorry," Sam apologised. "We shouldn't have let her through."

"You did the right thing," Carlisle objected reluctantly. "Alice is free to do what she will. I would not deny her that liberty."

"_I'm _not going down without a fight," Emmett muttered. "Alice told us what to do. Let's get it done."

He stood me up, and offered me a heartening smile that helped me get my sobs under control. I smiled back at him briefly, and he nodded resolutely. Carlisled followed, then Edward, Rose, Bella and myself. The instructions Alice had left us with were our only things to hold onto, besides the hands of our partners as we ran back the way we had come with an automatic gait, each lost in our own thoughts.

We reached the river, and I recalled the other trail I had noticed on the way to the Quileute border. I suggested it to Edward, just praying that perhaps they had come back to apologise, or even just to leave another clue.

"It has to be from earlier in the day," he replied lifelessly. "It was just Alice, without Jasper."

I tried to keep my expression as blank as his when I nodded and set my attention to putting one foot in front of the other. I couldn't ignore the fact that Alice and Jasper had left – they _had _abandoned my family, even if they hadn't meant it this way. No, I could not ignore it. Yet, the more I thought about it, the more devastating it seemed. Why would Alice have left if she had seen us get through this? If we did not, well then, thanks be to whatever Almighty is really out there that she had the strength to leave us. But was the situation truly so desperate? Was there not one sliver of hope left for the rest of us?

Carlisle:

Bella and Edward broke off to investigate Alice's solo trail, and I tried to keep my head high as I led the others home. I felt blind without Alice and Jasper beside me; the hundreds of years I had spent without them felt so small, so long ago now. It was as though I suddenly did not know my own mind.

So I leant on the words scrawled on a torn page in my pocket, and established a plan to fulfill Alice's instructions: Emmett and Rosalie would look for nomads, and Esme and I would search out Siobhan and Amun's covens, and perhaps even Alistair. I must admit, I doubted that he would come, but Esme needed some time away from the family to gather herself together. It would only torture her to be around what she could not stop. Perhaps if she felt she was contributing to their protection, even if it was ineffective in the end, it would remedy her aching heart.

Esme gasped and stumbled as we approached the house. I stopped with her, letting Emmett and Rose run past and into the house. Before I could say anything, Jacob dropped off the porch and jogged towards us, incongruously casual.

"Where's Alice?" he asked. It only took him a moment more to see us properly, and he slowed and stopped. His eyebrows and the corners of his lips drooped again as Esme pressed one hand over her mouth and nose, gasping for breath to steady her shaking shoulders, which threatened more sobs, but only breathing in more of the scent of Alice and Jasper; only making it worse.

"They're gone," I told Jacob in a low voice, trying not to upset Esme further though I knew it would be fruitless. "They left us some instructions. We have a month."

"And then what?" Jacob's dark eyes bore into mine. The blood rushed around his body. His heart beat accelerated and he turned and ran back into the house, calling for Renesmee. I turned back to Esme, who reached out blindly as she collapsed. I wrapped my arms around her and brought her to my chest.

"I'm frightened, Carlisle," she whimpered, not even a breath to her voice though it sounded like she wanted to scream.

"I know, sweetheart," I rocked gently from side to side, running one of my hands methodically up and down her back until I felt her violent shaking subside to a manageable bubbling. "We must have faith and be strong, my dear. They need us, now more than ever. We have to trust Alice and Jasper. They knew what they were doing."

"Yes, they did," she repeated, nodding against my shirt. Over her shoulder I could see Rose and Emmett watching us, concerned. I kissed Esme on the top of the head and straightened her.

"Come now, love," I beckoned. "There's much to be done. Alice gave us this chance. Let's not waste time."

"Right, right, of course." She shook her head, and then ran her nimble fingers through her hair and over her blouse and skirt with the efficacy of the war wife she had been in a previous life. She checked my hair as well, and my shirt – making a point of straightening my collar, so that we both smiled – and then we locked our hands together, strength refreshed somewhat, and jogged the rest of the way to the house.

Renesmee leapt on us as soon as we stepped through the door. Esme hugged her granddaughter tightly, burying her nose in the girl's beautiful hair and spinning until they both couldn't help laughing, even if only a little. I smiled to myself. The Lord moved in mysterious and sometimes frightening ways, but He had not abandoned us yet.


	73. The Journey of a Thousand Miles

**AN ~ Today, a little moment because they haven't had a moment for a while, and the visit to the Irish coven. Coming soon: Egypt! Enjoy.**

**In the mean time, if any of you feel like entering a comp to win a Tardis or $300 on Amazon (who couldn't use that right?) Enter here - ** www . genuitec raffle/ ?16NYSq

Chapter Seventy-Three: The Journey of a Thousand Miles

Esme:

When we finally touched down in Dublin my eyes were bare shades above black. Instinct, hunger, forced other sensations to the back of my mind. Carlisle prodded me in the back, prompting me to 'breathe'. I huddled close to him; it was already chilly and I, at least, had not thought to bring a jacket. Though we were not affected by the cold, my dress, short at the shoulders and the knees, was already drawing amused and sometimes ironic chuckles from those around us who were thoroughly rugged up against the weather. Carlisle wrapped his hands over mine, soothing but not abating the ever-present and worsening desire to clutch at my own throat, if not someone else's.

"You're doing excellently," Carlisle assured me as we tried to make our way as casually as possible towards the doorway. Every sound in the entire airport was howling in my ears, demanding that I feed. Having already suffered through an immense and tiring flight, my resistance was weakening.

"Take your time, okay?" Carlisle continued, his voice gentle and unobtrusive in the throng of people talking and laughing, of trucks driving and machines beeping and engines roaring in my ears. Like driftwood in a stormy ocean I clung to it. "One foot in front of the other. Stay focused. Just a few more minutes, sweetheart."

I began to shut out the other sounds, focusing on his voice so that the cacophony did not lead me to forget myself and collapse into instinct. But I could not ignore the sudden rush of approaching trolley wheels, squeaking and squealing faster and faster as someone ran up behind us.

It was a young boy, perhaps ten, racing up the corridor with a trolley. The rush of air in his wake hit me square in the face and I opened my mouth and inhaled it before I could stop myself.

Carlisle's arms instantly locked his arms around my hips, and Predator-Esme groaned loudly in frustration as her prey slipped away. All of a sudden Carlisle locked his lips over mine, an unusually forward public display of affection for him. Where he still clasped my hands, between us, his fingers dug into my hands, uncomfortable with the eyes on us. Then I realised how many eyes must be on us; we had been acting strangely enough, and then that sound – Carlisle must have acted to cover that sound. Oh, how embarrassing.

Giggling like a newlywed to feed our cover story I pulled away and tried to look as awkward and bashful as possible. At least it gave us an excuse to hurry the remaining few hundred metres to the door.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

By midday, well fed and unfortunately, once more preoccupied with Alice's disappearance and the impending Volturi visit, we were on the Irish coven's doorstep. They had a lovely little cottage in the highlands, and though they did not use it often, they would be close.

"Carlisle! Esme!" Siobhan called loudly from a hilltop not far off. Instantly we ran to her, and almost straight past.

"You look…panicked," she noted, tilting her head to the side.

"It's a very long story," I said, trying not to think too long on it all. "Might we discuss it with the others? I have something very important to ask of you."

Siobhan hesitated a moment, her eyes shifting from my face to Esme's and back before she called Maggie and Liam. As usual, Liam's expression was hard, but Maggie's was gentle and kind. It was surprisingly reassuring, given what it was standing up against.

"Start at the beginning," Maggie beckoned. The beginning. It seemed so long ago now, though it was mere seconds in the relative spectrum of our lives.

"If you would recall the…uh, rather serious relationship between Edward and the human, Bella?"

"Yes – you wrote about the wedding!" Siobhan declared with a brief grin. Suddenly, it disappeared, and she gasped: "You changed her, didn't you?!"

"Not exactly," I said. "Well, yes, exactly, but…things…escalated, you see…Bella bore Edward a child."

"Oh, no," Liam murmured. "We are sorry for your loss."

"No, no, it's not like that," I corrected, a well-needed flood of gratitude and relief dampening the panic. "She carried the child to full-term, and gave birth, but then Edward changed her with a needle of venom to her heart."

"Clever boy," Siobhan praised.

"But a strange story." Liam frowned.

"And one with drastic consequences, I fear," Maggie added. Her honest eyes were not on me, but Esme. Siobhan and Liam shared a glance. It seemed everyone had guessed what was going on, but was reluctant to say it.

"The Volturi that Renesmee – the child - is, in fact, an Immortal Child," I said. I only let a moment pass, unable to bear anxious, contemplative silence any longer. "But that is not true, I swear to you. She has blood pulsing through her veins, and she grows faster than any human. I'd swear on my life this is a misunderstanding."

I wrapped my arms around Esme's waist. Whether I would choose to or not, if Bella and Edward's fears about the Volturi's intent were correct, I may already stand to lose much more than that. Liam stepped up behind Siobhan.

"So it is to be a fight?" he asked solemnly. "You know we cannot beat them, Carlisle. Are we all to die over this 'misunderstanding?'"

_Other friends we do not have to sentence to death. _

"We wouldn't ask that of you," I assured them, though my voice was hardly calming. I had rehearsed it over and over in my head. I could not condemn my friends, no matter how much the memory of my granddaughter's face made me want to throw myself at their feet at beg. "Only to see the child, and to witness to the Volturi. If it does turn to a fight, I will make sure you are pardoned."

Siobhan looked deep into my eyes with hers. We had both seen the cost of pleading leniency with the Volturi: were we to spare even some of our friends, there would be no bargaining power for our family. The massacre would be brutal.

"If," Esme reminded us, squeezing my hand.

"If," Siobhan repeated, settling slightly.

"Then it is settled," Siobhan declared. "We will go to Forks, and we will stand by you, Carlisle "Ruh-nez-may? What an interesting name. I cannot wait to meet the personality it goes along with."

"Oh, you'll love her," Esme and I assured her at once. Siobhan grinned, and the three of them shot off out of sight; they would have to swim to America.

Carlisle watched them go, then raked a hand through his hair – a habit I fear he picked up from Edward, and sighed. He looked up at the sky – the sun only identifiable as a particularly glowing disc behind the clouds, pressed his hands together in a moment of prayer and let his head fall back, rejoicing.

"This is good, Esme," he whispered, shaking out of it, hooking his arm around me and kissing me, smiling though his grip was still nervously tight. "This is good."


	74. Cairo

**AN ~ See, look, what'd I tell ya? Plus for those of you who don't already know, I've signed up to Nanowrimo this month which basically means I'm going to try and write 50K which should mean lots of updates for you! Especially if you are also a Whovian, as there's lots of inspiration this month!  
**

**Also, I am still getting new readers, reviewers, subscribers and favouriters and I can't believe so many people have a relationship with this story. I am so flattered you guys and I love each and every one of you **

**Anyway, without further ado,**

Chapter Seventy Four: Cairo

The hot Egyptian sun beat down on our backs and Carlisle pulled me behind him through the packed streets of Ciaro. As we approached the edge of town, the crowds rapidly thinned out until there was hardly a person left wandering. Still, there were eyes on us; for one thing, we were too startlingly white to be natives to the area. No doubt they would gossip, but like a businessman on a deadline, Carlisle paid the citizens no mind and pulled me after him down a side street, explaining under his breath that we would stand out as two tourists too far from civilisation if we tried to find Amun dressed like this. We didn't want to attract any more attention than we had to.

"Here," he said, turning again.

"Carlisle, where are we _going?" _I asked, jogging to keep up with his intent pace. I looked around, and saw that we were being followed by two tall vampires whose olive skin was discoloured by vampire venom. Carlisle pulled me into an alley and covered my mouth to stop my scream – not that there were many people around to hear it so far from the centre of town.

"It's all right. They're with Amun. But we have to change, okay?" He nodded, his nose centimetres from mine, until I nodded too. He then handed me a pile of dirty-white garments and directed me to change as swiftly as possible, already unravelling his own bundle of clothes. I hid myself behind a bin and quickly removed my outer layers before slipping into the jilbab: a long dress-like garment which covers the whole body except the face, hands and feet. I quickly wrapped a hijab around my face and stepped back into the street, where Carlisle was waiting in a white galabiyya – a one-piece garment much like the jilbab but a little shorter, talking to the strange vampires in an ancient dialect I presumed to be Egyptian, though I had never heard it aloud.

"Bonjour," I greeted them, smiling. Carlisle briefly explained something to them in Ancient Egyptian, and everyone immediately started speaking French. Some of their phrases were an older dialect than I was familiar with, but I followed most of the conversation, more than well enough to understand that they were explaining Amun's desire for secrecy and security. Carlisle smiled and nodded, and was doing a much better job of keeping his expression calm than he had in Ireland.

"So what brings you here so urgently?" One of the strangers asked as we walked, and then ran across the sand dunes far from human sight. There it was; the twitch of pain that now accompanied the memory.

"It's a very serious matter," Carlisle said gravely. "We shouldn't speak of it out here."

"There is no one to hear us," the second stranger remarked, clearly puzzled.

Carlisle pretended to ignore this as he came to a stop before a cave entrance near a small oasis. Amun's men and I slowed down, following a few metres behind as Carlisle weaved through the dark tunnels with the speed and precision of a man who had been here a thousand times before. I could hear the scuffle of a skip every few steps; he was nervous. I jogged to catch up with him, but just as I managed it, we broke out into an enormous, glorious hallway. Huge stone pillars reached up to the roof. There was a thick carpet before us, and several paintings on papyrus around the walls. Light came in through several slits in the roof. I numbly followed Carlisle, listening to our echoing footsteps as I stared in wonder at the marvellous creation around us.

When we reached the right doorway, our escorts announced us. They waited just inside while Carlisle walked towards the one I guessed was Amun, who was standing before a throne-like arrangement of large blue cushions. He had dark skin under the milky vampire hue, and was dressed in Ancient Egyptian garb; I took particular notice of the enormous red and gold scarab beetle pendant hanging around his neck.

As he greeted Carlisle, a tall, slender woman in a light wrap floated into the room, wearing a very dignified expression. Her dark hair was in lots of tiny braids, which each finished with a small blue, gold or purple bead. She did not greet Carlisle or I, but waited just inside the doorway for Amun to introduce her – or so I guessed, as they were speaking Ancient Egyptian again.

"Je m'appelle Kebi," she said to me with a smile, kissing me gently once on each cheek.

"Je m'appelle Esme," I introduced myself, greeting her in the same manner. She was about to say something more, but Amun beckoned her to his side and she immediately obeyed.

"Carlisle? Esme?" A new voice interrupted. Amun's expression was disdain as Benjamin, a young vampire with a curious ability to control the elements, entered the room. He was the only one of the coven I had met before – he had come to visit when I was only just evolving out of my newborn stage. His mate, Tia, had been out hunting, and had respectfully chosen to stay away from me in my fragile state.

I saw her now, inquisitively sticking her head into the room before gravitating to Benjamin's side with a gentle smile.

"Good afternoon, Carlisle. Esme, it's good to meet you at last," she crooned in French. We kissed each other's cheeks and then she and Ben joined Amun and Kebi at the front of the room. Amun loudly cleared his throat.

"Now that the greetings are all out of the way, what brings you here my friend?" Amun inquired, settling into his enormous throne, which Kebi had brought over. He looked bored, running his finger around an empty goblet and creating a high-pitched hum. 'Friend' seemed an awkward word in his unwelcoming tone, but Carlisle appeared unfazed by this. It was only the nature of his own reply that made him uneasy.

"My family have become involved in a serious misunderstanding," he began – already making it perfectly clear that the whole incident was a mistake. "Bella bore Edward a child earlier this year. She survived the birth long enough for Edward to change her, but the child is…different."

Ben and Tia murmured amongst themselves. Kebi's eyes widened only slightly. Amun's gaze narrowed considerably, and from the looks of things, our case was headed rapidly downhill.

"The nature of this 'misunderstanding'?" he demanded of Carlisle.

"Through an unfortunate miscommunication, the Volturi have come to the conclusion that we are harbouring…an Immortal Child," Carlisle continued reluctantly.

"WHAT?! AND YOU COME TO ME WITH THIS?!" Amun leapt out of his chair and threw the goblet at Carlisle, who leant a little to the left and allowed the crystal to shatter on the wall behind him. The guards from Cairo immediately started towards us. Ben and Tia gasped in shock and looked to Amun to stop them.

"No! Please! Let me explain!" Carlisle begged, though his back was to Amun as he tried to shield me from the guards, who stalked around us like tigers. Amun clapped his hands and the guards backed off, but I could see we were not off the hook yet. Carlisle turned back to Amun, but kept a tight grip on my wrist. I had his back, my eyes on the guards though my breath stuck as I listened to Carlise imploring his friend to understand.

"The child breathes, eats, sleeps and has blood running through her veins, Amun! She grows faster than any human child!" he cried. "I beg you to help me. I only ask you to witness for us – just to show Aro you have seen these things in her."

"Carlisle…" Amun murmured sympathetically. All the vice was gone from his tone all of a sudden. Carlisle dropped my wrist and stood up tall. I spun on my heels so that I faced the same way he did, and tried to ignore the frightening presence of Amun's guards behind us.

"Carlisle, I never expected this," Amun continued as he walked towards us. Carlisle looked distinctly relieved at his friend's calmness. I couldn't help but be uneasy. It felt wrong. "From you, of all people, it's awful." Amun shook his head and clapped his hands, and the guards began circling again.

"W-What?" Carlisle stammered, pulling me away from the guards. "I didn't _do _it, Amun! I would never to this to a child! You know that! Think about it – I wouldn't do this to my family!"

"Carlisle, I've seen the affect of Immortal Children on several of my previously level-headed friends," Amun said. "Even if you didn't change the child yourself – which I believe – you would do anything to cover up such a mistake by one of your own. I understand that, but it is too serious for me to let even you get away with it. It is regretful, my friend, but I'm doing you a favour, really. Aro will not be so swift with it."

"No, Amun, you don't understand!" Carlisle insisted, pulling me back with him as we continued to back away from the guards. We were getting closer to Amun, though; we were running out of space. "Edward is Renesmee's _biological _father. Bella was still human when the child was conceived. She gave birth to a half-human child! Already, Renesmee has the mind of a bright teenager. She is without a doubt conscious of her decisions. Please, I'm begging you. Hear me out. Call off the guards."

Amun frowned, and Carlisle shoved me into the safety of Ben and Tia's worried embrace. Suddenly, Amun burst out laughing.

"Trust one of yours to have relations with a human!" he bellowed, as heartily as if this had been a joke all along. "Perhaps Aro is right, and you are all going mad. In any case, you've been a good friend to us. We shall come and see this child, Carlisle, but be warned; do not assume we are beside you when this turn bad."

"Of course. I understand." Carlisle nodded and bowed, accepting the warning gratefully. I felt a wave of relief sweep over me as the tense atmosphere dissipated. Amun and the guards apologised for their rash actions, and were forgiven, but Carlisle hovered around me until we left, headed for the airport once again in the hope of chasing one of Ben's leads to England to find Alistair.


	75. Ghosts

**AN ~ Here we are ladies and gentlemen, another chapter of Stars brought to you by Nanowrimo. I'm 10 895 words in out of 23 333 ahahaha going well…**

**Anyhow, enjoy!**

Chapter Seventy Five: Ghosts

Esme:

Avebury, England: a historical town surrounded by beautiful countryside. The fresh air was calming; the old, artful buildings spoke to me. I felt welcome here. Just like old times – very old times – Carlisle had spoken to a man at a market stall for information regarding Alistair: a vampire so famously elusive that not even I, the wife of the closest thing in this world he had to a friend, has not met the man. Of course the merchant did not know Alistair was a vampire; did not know Alistair at all. Actually, as far as he was concerned, Carlisle and I were from a television studio making a documentary about the legends of the area, and Alistair was nothing more than a nameless ghost.

"Swindon Road? Thank you," Carlisle finally said, nodding as he backed up to me. Beckoning me to follow him, he told me what he had found out, still pretending to be planning the documentary as we slipped around the corner. "He and his wife and daughter saw a figure at the Swindon Road bus station in October, and apparently three blond men were seen running away from a crop circle faster than human speed near Silbury Hill."

We disappeared down an alleyway and took off for Silbury Hill, our steps in perfect synchronisation.

"You think it was Alistair?"

"He had a house here a while ago…I didn't expect him to return to the same one, though."

"A while ago being a century ago?"

"Well, yes."

"Wouldn't someone have noticed a house in the middle of a forest? Especially around here?"

"Avebury is so full of haunted houses nobody would really take note of an extra one. It probably made the records somewhere, anyway," Carlisle shrugged, looking the door up and down. Ivy clung tightly to the frame and handle, holding the door shut. It looked like it hadn't been disturbed for decades.

"Looks like we're going up," he evaluated, before swiftly scaling a nearby tree. I shot up after him, and sat behind him on a strong branch, searching for a window we could enter without arousing suspicion or annoying our host. This would be difficult, seeing as all the windows were painted black and nailed shut, and most of them boarded up.

Carlisle frowned for a moment, but then leapt lightly onto the roof and danced across the shingles to the chimney. I followed him, though not quite as graceful, and looked down the daunting black tunnel. A chill ran down my spine.

"I'm claustrophobic," I squeaked. I had not rigorously tested this theory, but I certainly did not like the idea of squeezing down _that._

"Don't worry, I'll go first and help you down," Carlisle promised. With that, he disappeared into the blackness.

"Come on, Esme," he called back after a few seconds. I forced myself over the ledge and into that hot, tight space. Dry, bitter soot dust blew around me as I moved, but I held my breath and ignored it. I forced myself to continue down the painfully long, terribly dark corridor towards Carlisle's voice, until finally the walls widened out and I fell flat on my face into the ashes of the fireplace.

_Ashes. _I hated the very thought. I sprung to my feet and shot away. Suddenly, I collided with a tall, dark-haired stranger.

"You brought company?" he asked Carlisle.

"This is my wife, Esme," Carlisle introduced. "Esme, this is my…er, close acquaintance Alistair."

"Pleasure," Alistair drawled, backing away from me with a crinkled nose, as if I smelt bad. To be fair, I probably did, but I doubted that was his primary concern. "If you wouldn't mind, there's a shower upstairs. I'd prefer it if you would try and avoid getting soot all over my house."

"Of course," I agreed, though soot would not look out of place in this wreck of a house. I carefully proceeded up the rickety stairs, looking over the furniture in view. It's not like the house was a complete no-hoper; it just needed a good spring clean. A _really _good clean. The lights, though beautiful ornaments, were dimmed by a thick collection of dust and insect parts on the inside of the globe covering. The curtains and carpet were beautiful pieces, and though the moths had been cleared out, the material was still fraying and falling apart. Some of the furniture showed signs of termites, too. It would be easy to fix, though some pieces would have to be replaced. In six months, I could have this place restored to its original grandeur. But it didn't seem like Alistair would have me around for six minutes, let alone six months.

I slipped off my soot and ash-covered clothes and turned on the shower. The bathroom was dark, damp and mildewy. The shower door hung on one hinge, and the cold tap was completely stuck – I stopped myself just before I pulled it right off. I turned on the hot tap instead, only to find that the water smelt like copper and rust, and it was freezing cold. No doubt the copper heating pipes needed replacement. I sighed. At least it got the job done, right?

I stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. I blindly pulled one off the rack and proceeded to wipe the water off my face, only to feel the scratch of an embroidered monogram against my cheek. I paused, then slowly pulled the towel away to a readable distance.

_Bethanie, _was scrawled across the corner in a curly, feminine font. Alistair had clearly never let a woman touch this house – at least not this bathroom. It must have been from previous tenants.

"_I still think you could have handled that a little more graciously," _Carlisle remarked downstairs.

"_Well, I'm sorry, but I'm sure you weren't expecting the warmest of welcomes," _Alistair retorted. "_You know I'm not one for company."_

"_You could have at least pretended – she's never even met you!"_

"_You didn't think to give her a little background?! By the way, when did it occur to you to come traipsing into my house with a WOMAN!"_

"_Excuse me, but that 'woman' is my wife, and I would appreciate it if you treated her with a little more respect. She doesn't know about Bethanie and Celia, no, but I didn't exactly get time to explain. We're in a rather desperate position…"_

I tuned out of Carlisle's speech about why we were here, and proceeded to quickly dry myself and then search for something to wear, at least while I beat the soot out of all my clothes. I crept from the bathroom into a nearby bedroom. At least, it seemed to have been a bedroom once: there was a built-in closet, and compacted patches of carpet that suggested the four legs of a queen-sized single bed. This room was cleaner and lit better than the others I had seen so far: apparently it had been used recently. All around the walls, pictures and newspaper articles of various conspiracies were pinned or stuck up. I recognised articles as old as the Gunpower Plot, from 1605 – the very first Guy Fawkes night, you could say. President Kennedy's murder was prominent too, as was the more recent attack on the Twin Towers. I backed up, surprised, and bumped into a bookshelf. A heap of encyclopaedias, newspaper magazine and essay journals and conspiracy theorist books collapsed all around me.

"Oh dear," I mumbled to myself, quickly rearranging what I could before fleeing into the next room before I disturbed any more of Alistair's things; if an out of place book was going to be the difference between his helping and not helping us, I was not about to intentionally be the one responsible for said misplacement.

This was a beautiful room. It was dusty, of course, and the textiles quite worn, but it was large and comfortable. There was a long wardrobe with mirrored doors on one wall, which faced two large windows. These were boarded up, unfortunately, but between them there was a huge four-poster bed with satin sheets. Beside the bed, there was a crib– small and pink and neat. 'Celia' was painted across the front of the crib in the same font as the monogram on the towel. Bethanie and Celia? The ones Carlisle had been talking about?

I crept across the floorboards and looked into the crib. There was an old yellow mattress, browned in some places and terribly dusty. There was a little stuffed horse. And there was a photograph, half buried in grime. My curiosity got the best of me for a moment and I picked it up. Through the dirt, I could see Alistair's face. He had laughter lines at his eyes, and though his expression was stiff, as they were wont to be in old photographs like this one, I could see the hint of a smile beneath the surface. He had one hand on the shoulder of a thin, gaunt-looking woman. She was pale, but not quite as pale as he was. There was blush in her cheeks, which from years of experience I doubted was natural, especially given the materials they had to work with back in those days. _She was human. _

A shiver ran down my spine, and I felt like I was being watched. Quickly, furtively, my eyes dropped to the little girl standing between them. She appeared perhaps five years old. Her cheerful eyes looked startlingly like Renesmee's. Could it be..?

The door creaked and I dropped the photograph. It wafted a few inches before Alistair snatched it out of the air. I pulled back, fearing that he would lash out, but my feet did not move and he did not yell. His eyes were fixed on the photograph, haunted by longing.

"The Volturi didn't know about them," he explained, in a bitter tone twisted with sadness, pain and rage. "Not from my thoughts. By the time I met Aro, I knew how to hide my secrets from him. We were betrayed. I put my greatest trust in a close friend, and because of my foolishness, I lost my wife and child."

"I'm sorry, Alistair," I apologised, bowing my head. "I had no idea B-"

"Do not speak of them!" Alistair barked. I shut my mouth immediately. Like lightening, Carlisle was at my side. Alistair's eyes narrowed and his voice became low and menacing.

"You two have one hour to sort yourselves out, and then _she _is getting _out _of my house."


	76. The Enemy of My Enemy

**AN ~ Things are getting intense at the Cullen household! The next two are prepped too and will be up in the next few days, if not hours! It might even be finished this holidays! To the oldies, thanks for sticking with me guys, and to the newbies, I am super honoured to still be getting new readers, followers, favouriters and reviews! Glad you are enjoying it!**

Chapter 76: The Enemy of My Enemy

Carlisle:

I paced my study as the snow fell outside, an ever-thickening blanket that preoccupied my thoughts more and more with every day. Tanya, cross-legged on the table and surrounded by abandoned books, watched me.

"I can't believe Irina did this to you," she whispered with a bitter edge to her tone.

"Does anyone else know it was Irina?" I asked her. "Outside of the family?"

"No." She shook her head. "It hasn't exactly been 'Hug-a-Stranger' week here, Carlisle. There's enough tension as it is. We try to avoid the subject whenever possible."

"That's good. If they found out, you and Kate would be in a lot of trouble."

"I doubt we could be in as much as you are, Carlisle."

"I know." With a sigh I stopped pacing, and turned to the window. The snow continued to fall steadily, relentlessly, like sand through an hourglass. "What do I do, Tanya?"

"It is a lot of weight to put on your young shoulders," she murmured sympathetically, crossing the floor to put a hand on my shoulder, turning me to face her. Her golden eyes shone as she looked into mine. "_But_ you are more mature than vampires twice your age, and you have a house full of friends who stand beside you. Kate and I will fight with you. You do not deserve to suffer what we have. We will do what we can to protect your family, Carlisle. Your grand-daughter is a wonder; everybody loves her. They'll all protect her. You are loved, Carlisle; you will not be fighting alone."

.o.o.o.

One of those most determined to fight, of course, was Bella: when she was not with Renesmee she was either physically training, or trying to extend her natural mental shield. The shield was a curious thing, protecting Bella against physical as well as mental harm, so long as that harm was the result of another vampire's power. That is to say, she was safe from Kate's electric shock, but if someone launched a projectile at her, the shield would not have any effect. Perhaps that would change if she could stretch it beyond herself, but she seemed to be having little success. The thicker the snow became, the more anxious Bella grew, which was not surprising, but which could be risky.

I found myself thinking increasingly of Jasper. Even without his special abilities – which would be indisputably valuable in this situation – he would know what to do, what to say, better than I could. It was all I could do to send my friends off hunting – _killing humans _– and pace around the backyard, watching them train to kill each other and listening to them wonder about what this whole situation was doing to me. I was worrying them, which was stupid of me. Jasper would have scolded me, and rightly so, but whatever I did – whether I avoided them or faked my way through conversations - was inevitably a reflection on the same emotions. Unless I could change the way I felt, there was little else to be done.

Between them, the Denalis, the Amazonians and Rose barred me from my study as my mood continued to sink. I retreated to the grove of purple flowers, now dead and buried in snow, where Esme and I had talked about Edward and Bella's wedding. It had only been months, but it felt like decades. The place no longer felt the same. I stared into the murky grey waters, which reflected the bland grey sky, and they did little to lift my mood.

"Carlisle," Esme started quietly, in a low voice. I turned to face her. She was wearing a neat, dark-blue dress, and had her hair curled like always, like art, but her whole shape was dulled somehow, darkened and worn by circumstance. She looked like a war wife. Her eyes shimmered with concern for us, for me, but she continued talking, her voice ever so slightly shaking.

"There's...uh, some others here to see you. Out the front. They say they're not friends but not enemies either. I've never seen them before."

"What do they look like?" I asked. Esme's brow creased.

"Uh...Scandinavian?" she guessed. "Russian, maybe? Romanian?"

_Romanian._

I sprinted back towards the house, Esme hot on my heels. In the front yard they waited, pale and sickly, with slow, bloodthirsty smiles.

"Hello, Carlisle," they greeted together, with voices like parchment.

"Stephan, Vladimir," I returned, albeit shakily. Vladimir shook his ashen hair with silent laughter as I pulled Esme behind me.

"Did we scare you?" he mocked.

"It's been too long," Stephan said. "I haven't seen you since Churchill died."

"You haven't exactly made yourselves known," I retorted.

"Yes, well, it's best to keep a low profile when your people have made such a black mark on the Volturi's perfect reign." Vladimir sneered confidently. A shiver ran down my spine at the greasy smile on his face.

"Did Alice and Jasper find you?" I demanded. The two looked at each other, puzzled. I frowned, glancing between them for a sign of recognition, but there was none. "Did Alice send you?"

"No-one sent us," Stephan replied.

"Then what brings you here now?" I asked warily.

"Word travels." Vladimir answered this time. "We heard hints that the Volturi were moving against you. There were whispers that you would not stand alone. Obviously, the whispers were true; this is an impressive gathering."

To make a point, he leaned around me to the windows of the front room, where an audience had gathered. Both he and Stephan were smiling to themselves, far too eager to see what kind of a fight we would have against the Volturi. I tried to clarify, but of course, they were having none of it.

"We don't care what they say you did," Stephan said. "And we don't care if you broke the law."

"No matter how egregiously," Vladimir added, his grin stretching.

"We've been waiting a millennium and a half for the Italian scum to be challenged," Stephan continued. "If there is any chance they will fall, we will be here to see it."

"Or even to help defeat them," Vladimir concluded Stephan's speech. He paused and raised an eyebrow at me. "If we think you have a chance of success."


	77. Hoist the Colours

**AN ~ Because I have no life and no job these holidays, prepare for lots of Stars chapters! And I mean it this time. I'm up to chapter 80 already! You guys deserve it for trudging through seventy six chapters. Have any of you been around all year? Impressed! And grateful! Merry Christmas you guys XD**

Chapter Seventy Seven: Hoist the Colours

Esme:

Jacob, Bella, Edward and Renesmee were at Charlie's place when it happened; an argument between Amun, Ben and Alistair that Carlisle attempted to break up. Within minutes, the entire household was gathered around the living-room. It seemed not even Christmas could go smoothly this year.

"Where's Alistair?" Carlisle asked.

"He disappeared," Ben muttered. "Perfectly cowardly, if you ask me."

"Sensible, more like!" Amun snapped. "At least someone has finally realised what folly this whole mess is."

"Hey!" Tanya interrupted, shoving her way to the front of the gathering. Carlisle sent her back with a stern glance, but I refused to move. Kebi glided to my side, her eyes slightly wide but otherwise giving no sign of a reaction to the confrontation. Tia, on the other hand, was clearly shocked.

"Folly? They're trying to save themselves, Amun!" Ben objected. "Someone has made a serious mistake, and the Cullens are trying to right it - or would you prefer they all died, huh? Well, I for one am not going to leave them. If you won't let me stay, I suppose I shall just have to join the Cullens. But it doesn't have to be like that; I'll come back to Egypt when all this is over and it will be as if nothing ever happened."

"You're staying with us." Amun gritted his teeth, glaring furiously at his coven's youngest member. Carlisle stood calmly beside the boy, enduring his friend's burning gaze and vicious hiss. At that moment, Edward and Bella came in. Edward dragged Bella to my side, but Amun was clearly not bothered by Carlisle's growing support.

"Amun, if you want to go, no one is forcing you to stay," Carlisle reminded his friend. I could see the pain burning in his eyes, even from my side-on view: his allies leaving, his friends fighting...

"You're stealing half my coven, Carlisle!" Amun shrieked, jabbing a finger at Benjamin to emphasise his point. "Is that why you called me here? To _steal _from me?!"

Carlisle sighed, and Ben rolled his eyes.

"Yes," Benjamin replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Carlisle picked a fight with the Volturi, endangered his whole family, just to lure me here to my death." He snorted. "Be reasonable, Amun. I'm committed to do the right thing here - I'm not joining any other coven. You can do whatever you want, of course, as Carlisle has pointed out."

"This won't end well. Alistair was the only sane one here," Amun grumbled bitterly. "We should all be running. We're all going to be slaughtered!"

"It's not going to come to a fight," Carlisle repeated.

"You say!"

"If it does, you can always switch sides, Amun. I'm sure the Volturi will appreciate your help." The edge to his tone sent a tremor through the room. Carlisle's eyes narrowed. So did Amun's.

"Perhaps that _is _the answer," the Egyptian sneered.

"I wouldn't hold that against you, Amun," Carlisle said quietly, the bitterness gone from his tone now. "We have been friends for a long time, but I would never ask you to die for me."

When he spoke, Amun's voice was more sincere too.

"But you're taking my Benjamin down with you."

Carlisle reached out and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. Amun shrugged it off.

"I'll stay, Carlisle, but it might be to your detriment," he warned. "I _will _join them if that's the road to survival. You're all fools to think that you can defy the Volturi."

His eyes dropped from Carlisle's face, and scanned the row of us; Tia, Kebi, myself, and Edward, before finally coming to rest on Bella and Renesmee. Amun sighed.

"I will witness the child has grown," he added. "That's nothing but the truth. Anyone would see that."

"That's all we've ever asked," Carlisle assured him softly. Amun grimaced.

"But not all you are getting, it seems." He turned to Ben and growled; "I gave you life. You are wasting it."

Benjamin's face was cold and defiant as he glared at his leader - or, former leader.

"It's a pity you couldn't replace my will with your own in the process," he retorted. "Perhaps then you would have been satisfied with me."

Amun turned on his heel, and Kebi gravitated after him as the two disappeared outside. Carlisle hung his head. Tia embraced Benjamin. Tanya sympathetically moved towards her friend, noticing that I was frozen to the spot.

"He's not leaving," I heard Edward tell Bella in a whisper, "but he'll be keeping his distance even more from now on. He wasn't bluffing when he spoke of joining the Volturi."

"Why did Alistair go?" Bella asked, just as quietly.

"No one can be positive; he didn't leave a note," Edward replied. "From his mutters, it's been clear that he thinks a fight is inevitable. Despite his demeanour, he does actually care too much for Carlisle to stand with the Volturi. I suppose he decided the danger was too much."

Edward shrugged, but his words had clearly hit me with more strength than they did Bella. Eleazer added a comment as though the conversation was meant for us all.

"From the sound of his mumblings, it was a bit more than that," he said solemnly. "We haven't spoken much of the Volturi agenda, but Alistair worried that no matter how decisively we can prove your innocence, the Volturi will not listen. He thinks they will find an excuse to achieve their goals here."

To hear that this theory had spread to others made it all the more real. Alistair was twisted, maddened by distrust, but it seemed Eleazer reluctantly believed this theory, and as the others shifted uncomfortably it was clear a part of them hated to admit it too. We liked to think the best of our leaders, burying the painful stories under decades of peace we were allowed by their law enforcement - brutal though that was. We were not safe, perhaps we never had been, and that realisation meant that everyone in this room suddenly had much more to lose than anyone had been willing to admit.

"Thank you for helping us," I said. The words seemed so small once they came out, but the Denalis smiled slightly, and nodded their understanding of everything I was trying to say.

"Of course," Tanya and Kate replied in unison. Kate's eyes darted over to the Romanians; just about everyone was eavesdropping on them, apparently. Stephan was looking at Edward.

"I see your point," he was muttering to Vladimir. My skin crawled at the slick sound of his voice. "Indeed, they will gain much if they win."

"More than we can afford to have them gain, don't you agree?" Vladimir replied.

"I think I must agree, and that means..."

"That we must stand against them while there is still hope."

"If we can just cripple them, even, expose them..."

"Then, someday, others will finish the job."

"And our long vendetta will be repaid. At last."

They locked eyes for a moment, and their determination faltered; burning desire for revenge warring with the instinct of self-preservation.

"It seems the only way," they murmured in unison.

"So we fight," Stephan decided.

"We fight," Vladimir agreed.

Carlisle's eyes found mine, wide and deep and afraid, as if he had predicted this happening all along. Perhaps he had: right from the start he had tread carefully around the Romanians. He had dreaded for months this turning into a fight, but now it seemed as though he was watching turn before his very eyes.

"We will fight, too," Tia said, stepping forward. "We believe the Volturi will overstep their authority. We have no wish to belong to them."

"Apparently, I'm a hot commodity," Ben added. "It appears I have to win the right to be free."

"This won't be the first time I've fought to keep myself from a king's rule." Garrett crossed the room and gave Ben a hearty slap on the back. "Here's to freedom from oppression."

"We stand with Carlisle," Tanya announced. "And we fight with him."

"We have not decided," Peter said, looking to Charlotte, who pursed her lips. She had apparently made up her mind, but didn't want to speak against her mate.

"The same goes for me," Randall said.

"And me," Mary added.

"The packs will fight with the Cullens," Jacob declared, with a confident smirk. "We're not afraid of vampires."

"Children," Peter muttered.

"Infants," Randall corrected. Jacob grinned at the nomads, unfazed.

"Well, I'm in, too," Maggie decided, pulling away from Siobhan's restraining arm. "I know truth is on Carlisle's side. I can't ignore that."

Siobhan watched the youngest member of her coven with worried eyes.

"Carlisle," she said quietly, as if they were alone. The tenderness of the moment between them made my heart swell. "I don't want this to come to a fight."

"Neither do I, Siobhan," Carlisle replied, giving his concerned friend a crooked smile. His eyes softened, the terror melting out of them as his leadership, which both of us had begun to fear had deserted him, resurfaced. "Perhaps you should concentrate on keeping it peaceful."

"You know that won't help," Siobhan objected, a smile creeping onto her face too. Carlisle believed she had the power of influencing the outcome of an event - Siobhan, of course, thought this was a load of rubbish, and Carlisle knew it.

"It couldn't hurt," he shrugged. Siobhan rolled her eyes.

"Shall I visualise the outcome I desire?" Her voice was thick with sarcasm; Carlisle grinned openly.

"If you don't mind."


	78. Fair Words

**AN ~ As promised, more chapters! Special thanks to Purradox who has been a super loyal reader and continues to review I appreciate it very much. As for everyone else, I certainly hope you are enjoying it. Anyway, let's be on with it, for the day of reckoning has arrived!**

Chapter Seventy Eight: Fair Words

Esme:

The anxiety was torture, but it did not last long: organised, cloaked figures drifted towards us, grey or black cowls hiding the faces of the wearers. The lighter cloaks headed towards the outside while the dark ones progressed steadily forward, as languid yet as demanding in presence as a glacier; clearly they had nothing against dragging out our torture. I couldn't help wondering if this waiting was part of the punishment.

What we could see of their faces gave away nothing; not even surprise or disgust at the giant wolf that stood beside Bella. Thirty-two perfectly expressionless faces - and, according to Garrett, there were more to come: the red-coats. I didn't know what that meant, but I knew the scales were already dangerously tipped against us. Even with the wolves we were heavily outnumbered already; any more enemies and we wouldn't have a chance. But came they did, joining the seemingly endless flow of opposition. I hoped I did not look as stunned as I felt.

At least these cloaks bore emotive faces, rather than disciplined assassins. At first they were shocked - probably at the unexpected force we had brought out to meet them - but then they found security in their numbers and the concern disappeared, replaced by whatever emotion they had been wearing before the moment of shock. Mostly, this was anger or disgust; after all, we had supposedly committed the most heinous crime in all of vampire history - which was long and recorded in great detail. I tried to find comfort in the fact that these ones, being less disciplined than the black cloaks, would probably not be fighting us, and if they were they wouldn't be too good. Considering each of them probably knew twice as much about battle strategies than any of us, this was a difficult feat.

When the flow of red cloaks finally ended, my eyes locked onto the most familiar face: Irina stood uncertainly between the black cloaks and the reds, her terrified eyes on Tanya's face. Edward hissed.

"Alistair was right," he muttered. Carlisle and Tanya turned to him, surprised.

"Alistair was right?" Tanya repeated, horrified.

"They - Caius and Aro - come to destroy and aquire," Edward explained. His voice was so low even I could scarcely hear it. I wasn't sure I wanted to. "They have many layers of strategy in place. If Irina's accusation had somehow proven to be false, they were committed to find another reason to take offense. But they can see Renesmee now, so they are perfectly sanguine about their course. We could still attempt to defend against their other contrived charges, but first they have to stop, to hear the truth about Renesmee...which they have no intention of doing."

I swallowed hard; my mouth was so dry it hurt. My mind had already categorized our entire battalion: certainly the Romanians, the nomads, Tanya, Rose, Emmett, Carlisle and I would be destroyed. Kate would likely be kept, as well as Ben and the Amazonians. Bella and Edward were certainly valuable commodities, and Aro would probably be curious enough to keep Renesmee alive - I hoped.

I braced myself for battle as the Volturi continued to flow forward. Suddenly, they halted. I stiffened, and risked a glance left and right out of the corners of my eyes: the wolves had joined us.

There were many more wolves around us now than I had ever seen, even at the fight against Victoria and her newborns. The strangers looked young; big eyes, ears and paws that they hadn't grow into yet. I wondered just how young they were, and how Sam - the seemingly responsible leader - had allowed this to happen...but then it dawned on me: they were triggered to change based on the threat they faced. One family of vampires requires only a handful of wolves: a horde like this one, whatever they could throw at it. All those who had the gene had been forced to change for the sole purpose of fighting this battle; of winning. But we were going to lose, and the wolf gene would quite possibly be wiped out. More innocents killed over a misunderstanding.

I glared at the three Volturi leaders. Marcus' expression was nearly as blank as his subjects', but Aro and Caius appeared to be having a serious discussion. Aro's eyes scanned our ranks, searching for something...searching for Alice. I couldn't help the enormous wave of pride and joy that filled me at the knowledge that she had escaped the ancient's clutches - but then came a pang of sadness, remembering that I never got to say goodbye.

"Should I speak?" Carlisle asked, pulling me back to the present immediately.

"This is the only chance you'll get," Edward replied with a nod. I took a deep breath as Carlisle pulled himself up and stepped out of our line. In that instant, he drew the first target on himself. I bit my lip and reminded myself this was for the best.

"Aro, my old friend," he called, spreading his arms wide as though in greeting. "It's been centuries."

He waited.

I waited.

Then Aro drifted out of the centre of the guard, his milky eyes curious. Some of the guard lowered themselves into crouches, but Aro dismissed them with a wave of his hand. He stopped a few steps ahead of his line and cocked his head to one side, eyes locked on Carlisle.

"Fair words, Carlisle," he remarked in a whispery voice; it was somehow reminiscent of the Romanian's thin, wispy tones. "They seem out of place, considering the army you've assembled to kill me, and to kill my dear ones."

With quite some effort, I forced myself to swallow my snarl as Carlisle extended his right hand. There was still quite a distance between them - almost a hundred yards - but I felt no more secure for it.

"You have but to touch my hand to know that was never my intent," Carlisle offered, safe in the knowledge that it was unlikely Aro would kill him now without at least looking at the evidence. Aro narrowed his eyes and, in an offended tone, retorted:

"But how can your intent possibly matter, dear Carlisle, in the face of what you have done?"

"I have not committed the crime you are hear to punish me for," Carlisle clarified. I don't think any of us missed the repetition of singular pronouns as Carlisle tried to encourage the idea that the rest of us had nothing to do with the crime – just in case. I glanced sideways at Bella, who was clinging tightly to her daughter and watching Aro intently, mortified.

"Then step aside and let us punish those responsible," Aro replied, seeing Carlisle's efforts for what they were and turning them on their head. "Truly, Carlisle, nothing would please me more than to preserve your life today."

"No one has broken the law, Aro. Let me explain." Carlisle offered his hand again, but before Aro could respond, Caius too emerged from the battle lines.

"So many pointless rules, so many unnecessary laws you create for yourself, Carlisle," he hissed. "How is it possible that you defend the breaking of one that truly matters?"

"The law is not broken. If you would just listen-"

"We see the child, Carlisle," Caius snarled. "Do not treat us as fools."

"She is _not _an immortal," Carlisle insisted. "She is not a vampire. I can prove this with just a few moments-" Again, he was cut off by Caius.

"If she is not one of the forbidden, then why have you massed a battalion to protect her?" the ancient demanded.

"Witnesses, Caius, just as you have brought." Carlisle gestured to the red-cloaks - many of whom snarled and growled in response. "Any one of these friends can tell you the truth about the child. Or you could just look at her, Caius. See the flush of human blood in her cheeks."

"Artiface!" Caius barked. "Where is the informer? Let her come forward!" He craned his neck around until he spotted the petrified Irina. "You! Come!"


	79. Testimony

Seventy Nine: Testimony

Carlisle:

Irina stopped a few yards away from Caius, eyes still on her sisters. Impatient, Caius swiftly closed the remaining distance and gave Irina a resounding slap on the cheek. It would not have hurt her, but I winced inwardly; it was like watching someone thrash an injured carthorse. Irina's eyes finally focused on Caius, and he pointed one hand - or perhaps a more accurate description would be claw - at Renesmee. Not for the first time, I swallowed my growl.

"This is the child you saw?" Caius demanded of Irina. "The one that was obviously more than human?"

Irina followed Caius' gesture, and confusion crossed her features as she looked on the very different Renesmee.

"Well?" Caius snarled.

"I...I'm not sure," she stammered. Caius stared in disbelief and rage. His hand twitched with the urge to hit Irina again.

"What do you mean?" he hissed.

"She's not the same, but I think it's the same child...What I mean is, she's changed. This child is bigger than the one I saw-"

Caius bared his teeth and roared at Irina, who winced and immediately fell silent. Luckily, Aro flew to her rescue, putting a restraining hand on the other ancient's shoulder.

"Be composed, brother," he instructed. "We have time to sort this out. No need to be hasty."

Caius stubbornly turned his back on Irina, and Aro took over with a much more gentle approach. He was a strange man; ruthless yet polite to a fault.

"Now, sweetling," he murmured. "Show me what you're trying to say." He offered his hand, and the bewildered Irina put hers into it. When he was satisfied, Aro let his hand drop.

"You see, Caius? It is a simple matter to get what we need." Caius refused to react. Aro glanced towards his audience, and then returned his attention to me.

"And so we have a mystery on our hands, it seems," he remarked, intrigued. "It would appear the child has grown. Yet Irina's first memory was clearly that of an Immortal Child. Curious."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to explain," I confirmed, relieved that Aro seemed to be willing to hear an explanation. Thanks to Aro's curiosity, our momentous goal might just be achieved. Perhaps no one needed to die today. I offered my hand again, but Aro hesitated.

"I would rather have the explanation from someone more central to the story, my friend," he explained. "Am I wrong to assume that this breach was not of your making?"

"There was no breach," I insisted.

"Be that as it may, I will have every facet of the truth." Aro's light tone hardened, matching my determination. "And the best way to get that is to have the evidence from your talented son. As the child clings to his newborn mate, I'm assuming Edward is involved."

I gritted my teeth, and Aro smiled slightly; he knew he had me trapped. Endanger Edward, or label us all liars. I didn't have to make that decision for myself: before I knew it, Edward was walking boldly towards me.

.o.o.o.

Esme:

A whimper escaped my throat before I could stop it; every moment, this was becoming more and more like a nightmare. One by one, my family was walking into the firing line, and my hands were as good as tied.

Beside me, Bella let a hiss of air run out of her tightly clenched jaw; she as obviously calling on a lot of strength for her shield. A moment later, she released a startled laugh. I tried not to react obviously, but it was undoubtedly bizarre. Perhaps the pressure was getting to her? No matter: in an instant, her humour vaporised and she stared intently at her mate.

Edward took on an arrogant persona; lifting his chin high and offering his hand as though bestowing an enormous blessing. With an easy smile, perhaps amused by Edward's theatrics, Aro took my son's hand. Instantly, his eyes flew shut and he hunched over at the rapid onslaught of information. Several of the redcoats – and several of us, no doubt – shifted with discomfort at the sudden grotesqueness, a flash of the reality of the situation. Rationally, it was not surprising: every thought from every mind on our side, for every moment of the last month, was being transferred from Edward's mind to Aro's

Then Edward too bent his head, struggling as all that information was now being transferred back, complete with Aro's reactions to everything. Bella hissed again, this time in frustration, and Zafrina warily calmed her. I ground my teeth together, feeling Bella's rage and agony as Edward's discomfort appeared to increase. I tried to think calm thoughts – Edward was still receiving all of our current thoughts too – but as the straining mental conversation between them dragged on and on, I couldn't help but flex my tense muscles, so that I could leap as far as was necessary the moment anything went wrong.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

Tension only eased slightly as Aro straightened and opened his eyes; awed but wary.

"You see?" Edward asked, his tone smooth although his posture was not entirely at ease. Aro had not let go of his hand.

"Yes, I see, indeed," Aro agreed. "I doubt whether any two among gods or mortals have ever seen quite so clearly. You have given me much to ponder, my young friend. Much more than I had expected." Aro still did not release Edward's hand, and Edward still seemed strained: no doubt he was examining each of Aro's thoughts as thoroughly as possible to avoid a trap.

"May I meet her?" Aro suddenly asked, his tone and expression switching instantly from pensive to thrilled. "I never dreamed of the existence of such a thing in all my centuries. What an addition to our histories!"

"What is this about, Aro?" Caius demanded. I took a deep breath and let it out steadily; Edward knew what he was doing. None of my uneasiness faded.

"Something you've never dreamed of, my practical friend," Aro murmured. His tone put me on edge. There was something strange about it, some undertone I had never detected before. Or perhaps I had, and had chosen to ignore it. "Take a moment to ponder, for the justice we intended to deliver no longer applies."

Caius hissed indignantly. Aro cautioned him once again, and between them, a silent message passed that sent a chill right through me. I was more certain than ever that Edward and Garrett, amongst others, had been correct. The Volturi were going to dig deep to start a fight: _ponder _what we had already said, already given away, that could be used instead of the _intended _trigger. We were being made to think we were in the clear, so that our barriers would come down and someone would reveal something the Volturi could twist into a crime.

_I'm not fooled, _I warned Edward - and Aro, who was still holding his hand. Edward's back muscles tightened, but Aro's confidence did not waver. I could not speak aloud without causing a disruption, and both of us knew it.

"Will you introduce me to your daughter?" Aro asked again.


	80. Specious Allegations

_"Take a moment to ponder, for the justice we intended to deliver no longer applies."_

_Caius hissed indignantly. Aro cautioned him once again, and between them, a silent message passed that sent a chill right through me. I was more certain than ever that Edward and Garrett, amongst others, had been correct. The Volturi were going to dig deep to start a fight: 'ponder' what we had already said, already given away, that could be used instead of the intended trigger. We were being made to think we were in the clear, so that our barriers would come down and someone would reveal something that the Volturi could twist into a crime._

I'm not fooled,_ I warned Edward - and Aro, who was still holding his hand. Edward's back muscles tightened, but Aro's confidence did not waver. I could not speak aloud without causing a disruption, and both of us knew it._

_"Will you introduce me to your daughter?" Aro asked again._

Chapter Eighty: Specious Allegations

Even with Emmett and Jacob by her sides, it took all of Bella's willpower – and unsurprisingly so – for her take those two steps forward and offer up her daughter. I was now between her and the rest of the family. I glanced towards Esme, and saw the same look of desperation and difficulty that Bella was trying to hide.

"But she's exquisite," Aro murmured, attention having returned to Renesmee. "So like you and Edward." A little louder, he added: "Hello Renesmee."

"Hello, Aro," Renesmee greeted in her educated voice. Aro seemed perplexed, but his fascination had not dimmed.

"What is it?" Caius hissed. Clearly, his nerves were not cooling.

"Half mortal, half immortal," Aro explained. "Conceived so, and carried by this newborn while she was still human.

"Impossible," Caius scoffed.

"Do you think they've fooled me then, brother?" Aro asked, an edge to his amicable tone betraying confidence that Caius did not truly seek to challenge him. "Is the heartbeat you hear a trickery as well?"

Caius scowled, which appeared to amuse Aro.

"Calmly and carefully, brother," Aro cautioned, still keeping a light tone, his eyes still on Renesmee. "I know how well you love your justice, but there is no justice in acting against this unique little one for her parentage. And so much to learn, so much to learn! I know you don't have my enthusiasm for collecting histories, but be tolerant with me, brother, as I add a chapter that stuns me with its improbability. We came expecting only justice and the sadness of false friends, but look what we have gained instead! A new, bright knowledge of ourselves, our possibilities."

Aro held his hand out to Renesmee, but she reached up for his face. Aro didn't so much as flinch; he had come to expect this from the thoughts and memories he had seen through his conversation of sorts with Edward.

"Brilliant," he whispered. Renesmee settled back into Bella's arms, and looked at Aro with the most solemn eyes her childlike face could muster.

"Please?" she asked him.

"Of course I have no desire to harm your loved ones, precious Renesmee," Aro replied with a gentle smile. He seemed well and truly smitten with her; perhaps we were safer than I had thought - then again, perhaps not. Maggie hissed bitterly. I saw surprise flash across Esme's face, and then realisation: she had been lulled into the false sense of security too. But now, Aro's secret was blown: everyone trusted Maggie. With all of us on our toes now, I wondered what Aro would do. He seemed ignorant, however, of the disturbance.

"I wonder..." he mused. His eyes shifted to Jacob, who steadily stared him down. Unlike the rest of the guard, Aro regarded the wolf with a sort of longing.

"It doesn't work that way," Edward interrupted whatever Aro was contemplating.

"It was just an errant thought," Aro shrugged unconvincingly. His focus shifted to the back row of our would-be fighters. He examined each of the wolves on the left, and then dragged across Esme and the others before observing the wolves on the other side.

"They don't _belong _to us, Aro," Edward insisted. "They don't follow our orders. They're here because they want to be."

Jacob growled menacingly to emphasise Edward's point.

"They seem quite attached to you, though," Aro said, thinking aloud. "And your young mate and your...family. _Loyal." _His eyes flickered across the ranks again; the faces of the wolves now mirroring the fierce determination of their vampire companions. Even Leah was there, looking the fiercest of all but Jacob.

"They're committed to protecting human life, Aro," Edward explained. "That makes them able to coexist with us, but hardly with you...unless you're rethinking your lifestyle."

Aro simply laughed that idea off.

"Just an errant thought," he repeated. "You well know how that is. We none of us can entirely control our subconscious desires."

Edward grimaced.

"I do know how that is," he agreed, "but I also know the difference between that kind of thought and the kind with a purpose behind it. It could never work, Aro."

Jacob looked to Edward for an explanation, a whine escaping his teeth.

"He's intrigued by the idea of...guard dogs," Edward explained reluctantly. This was met by an uproar of furious growls and snarls from the other pack members. Sam gave a loud bark, enforcing control, and they reluctantly settled, sending the clearing back into silence.

"Well, I suppose that answers that question," Aro said. "_This _lot has picked its side."

Edward hissed and leaned forward, and a panic-stricken Bella clutched his arm. Felix and Demetri also shifted into crouches, but Aro waved his hand and all three returned to their original posture.

"So much to discuss," Aro mused, his eyes flickering to Nessie and then to me before returning to Edward's face. "So much to decide. If you and your furry protector will excuse me, my dear Cullens, I must confer with my brothers."

.o.o.o.

Esme:

Edward dragged the others back to the front line, but Carlisle only took a few steps back towards us. His eyes anxiously watched the Volturi as they discussed our fate.

"How can you abide this infamy?" Caius hissed at Aro, his arms tensed at his sides. "Why do we stand here impotently in the face of such an outrageous crime, covered by such a ridiculous deception?"

"Because it's all true, every word of it," Aro replied, calm in contrast with the other elder's fury. "See how many witness stand ready to give evidence that they have seen this child grow and mature in just the short time they've known her. They have felt the warmth of the blood that flows through her veins."

At least someone was on our side - or seemed so. I scrutinised Aro's every word for a double meaning, but couldn't find one. He was truly willing to let us go! To let Renesmee go! Oh, happy day!.

"The werewolves," Caius muttered. My euphoric hope flickered.

"Ah, brother..." Aro murmured a pained expression on his face. On my toes with anticipation, I was poised for Aro's reply; I silently pleaded he would not bring my hopes crashing down.

"Will you defend that alliance too, Aro?" Caius demanded. "The Children of the Moon have been our bitter enemies from the dawn of time. We have hunted them to near extinction in Europe and Asia. Yet Carlisle encourages a familiar relationship with this enormous infestation - no doubt in an attempt to overthrow us. The better to protect his warped lifestyle."

Edward cleared his throat loudly, and Caius whipped around and glared at him. My anger was put on hold as I silently implored Caius not to hurt my son.

"Caius, it's the middle of the day," Edward pointed out, gesturing to Jacob. "These are not Children of the Moon, clearly. They bear no relation to your enemies on the other side of the world."

"You breed mutants here," Caius spat. Edward stiffened slightly, but then recovered and answered smoothly;

"They aren't even werewolves. Aro can tell you if you don't believe me." Both of them turned to face Aro; Edward confidently and Caius indignantly. Of course Aro cleared up the matter in a few seconds, gently scolding his brother. Aro's calm demeanour only seemed to enrage Caius further.

"They know our secret," he snapped, changing tactic slightly.

"They are creatures of our supernatural world, brother," Aro reasoned. "Perhaps even more dependant on secrecy than we are - they can hardly expose us. Carefully, Caius. Specious allegations get us nowhere."

My fragile hopes, hovering so delicately all this time, came crashing down around me when I heard the second meaning behind Aro's words. Specious allegations would get them nowhere, certainly: he was instructing Caius to move onto the next topic. Eventually they would find one reason solid enough to start a fight. All they had to do was convince the witnesses that we were criminals. Taking his brother's undercover advice, Caius announced a sudden change of topic.

"I want to talk to the informant."


	81. Trial By Fire

Chapter Eighty One: Trial By Fire

Carlisle:

Irina's face was twisted in agony as she stared at Kate and Irina; her sisters now lined up to die because of her mistake. I wish I could say something to her.

"Irina!" Caius barked, annoyed at having to address her by name.

Irina's eyes snapped up, and her pain immediately transformed into terror. The agony instead became mine, not only stopping but soothing every inch of my body, even my thoughts, pretending I was not feeling as threatened as she was as the shaking Irina came forward to meet Caius. I prepared myself for another degrading slap, but it did not come. Instead, Caius' voice was quite courteous:

"So you appear to have been quite mistaken in your allegations."

"I'm sorry," Irina whispered shakily. "I should have made sure of what I was seeing. But I had no idea..." She gestured hopelessly towards Bella and Renesmee.

"Dear Caius, could you expect her to have guessed in an instant something so strange and impossible?" Aro came to her defence. "Any of us would have made the same assumption."

Caius waved his hand at Aro to silence him, without taking his piercing gaze off Irina.

"We all know you made a mistake. I mean to speak of your motivations."

Around the field, in patches, some spectators – mostly older vampires – tensed: some in dread, some in anticipation. Caius was well known for his vicious interrogation style, chasing witnesses and suspects into the very corners of their own arguments. Unlike many here, I had seen Caius perform several of these interrogations in person. He always got what he wanted.

"My motivations?" Irina squeaked.

"Yes, for coming to spy on them in the first place."

Irina flinched at the word 'spy,' but said nothing.

"You were unhappy with the Cullens, were you not?" Caius pressed.

Irina turned to me with a pitiful expression on her face. I was glad to have evolved beyond breathing in that moment, because I could not pull air into my lungs. Stress had darkened her eyes to the colour of autumn. My close friend for nearly two centuries. I had hurt her by forbidding her revenge, and when she came to make up, she came face to face what she had believed to be the greatest vampire crime in all our history. Because of this, she was now on trial with Caius. He always won. Her eyes – those pitiful, glistening eyes – told me with a great deal of sorrow but no doubt, that she knew this.

"You were unhappy with the Cullens, were you not?" Caius pressed.

"I was," she admitted.

"Because..?"

"Because the werewolves killed my friend," she whispered, "and the Cullens wouldn't stand aside to let me avenge him."

"The shape-shifters," Aro corrected quietly.

"So the Cullens sided with the _shape-shifters _against our own kind - against the friend of a friend, even," Caius summarised.

"That's…how I saw it," Irina reluctantly confessed.

"If you'd like to make a formal complaint against the shape-shifters - and the Cullens, for supporting their actions - now would be the perfect time."

The corners of his lips curled in an expectant smile. Irina's eyes flicked across the gathering behind my shoulders, and then she straightened herself bravely. She was going to decline. Irina's defiance would mean her death. She knew this as well as I did. But her complaint would be a solid enough reason to slaughter myself and my family, and probably the wolves as well, if not our entire gathering. So, by some cruel twist of fate, I found myself stuck between sparing my friend's life and my family.

"No, I have no complaint against the wolves, or the Cullens," Irina announced firmly. "You came here today to destroy an Immortal Child. No Immortal Child exists. This was my mistake, and I take full responsibility for it. But the Cullens are innocent, and you have no reason to still be here." She apologised to us, and then turned to the Volturi witnesses to insist that there had been no crime.

As she spoke, Caius raised the incinerator; the final signal. As soon as Irina finished, three of the guard leapt from their ranks and surrounded her. There was the exquisite screech of a vampire being pulled apart, and then Caius slipped between two of the guards. He flicked the incinerator and what was left of Irina went up in flames. The guards returned to their positions, leaving Caius alone beside the burning heap. My knees shuddered, threatening to give way, as Caius shut off the incinerator and left Irina to burn. A gasp rippled through the Volturi's witnesses. Behind me, there was only silence. Even the wolves were holding their breaths.

_"Now _she has taken full responsibility for her actions." Caius smiled coldly as his eyes flicked towards the front line - to where I knew Tanya and Kate were standing.

_Don't do it, _I pleaded silently, forcing myself to keep facing the front. Seconds ticked by in tense silence, waiting for something to topple the impossibly fragile peace. I ground my teeth together, and Caius' red eyes returned to my face, glistening hungrily. He knew - he had known all along - that Irina would defend us. He didn't care about that, either. He was mad. He would have his vengeance on this impudent coven who dared oppose him. And Irina's death was exactly the right way to go about it; he had driven a stake so hard into the hearts of the other Denali sisters, they would care nothing for the consequences: they would attack.

"Stop them!" Edward cried. I whipped around as Tanya, shrieking hysterically, lunged towards Caius. Edward grabbed her arm, holding her back for just long enough for me to wrap my arms around her waist.

"Get...off...me!" I picked up between several Russian curses. I struggled to hold on as she continued to kick and flail around.

"It's too late to help her," I reasoned, trying to keep the panic out of my voice as I ducked under an elbow. "Don't give him what he wants!"

I watched in horror as Kate, too, broke out of rank. Rosalie tried to grab her, but in less than a second was shocked into a crumpled heap on the ground. Emmett tried next, managing to bring Kate to the ground before he too was rendered useless. Kate rolled to her feet, and I heard Caius laugh quietly to himself. It seemed he was going to get his bloodbath after all.

"Carlisle...let...me...go!" Tanya continued to shriek. She hooked her ankle around the back of my knee and pulled. I staggered, but didn't fall. I couldn't fall. The consequences were too great.

My shoulder socket jarred as Tanya twisted. The shock of pain echoed through my whole body. I shut my eyes. _Think of Esme, Edward, Bella, Nessie, _I begged myself. _Don't let go. Someone else will stop Kate. Please, God, let someone stop her._

My prayers were answered as Garrett flew towards her, knocking her to the ground again. Kate roared with fury, but Garrett refused to relinquish his hold. He wrapped his arms around her and gritted his teeth against the pain he knew was coming. Kate shocked him, and his whole body shuddered. She tried again; this time, he jerked with a violent spasm and his eyes rolled back in his head. Still he held firmly.

Tanya, on the other hand, had doubled her efforts to break free of my grasp. She stomped on my feet, pinched and scratched at my hands, elbowed me in the chin. I was nearly screaming with the effort...I could feel my hold slipping...any moment now I would lose her.

"Zafrina!" Edward called. Kate calmed down; her screams became moans. Mercifully, Tanya stopped struggling too. I was tempted to relinquish my grasp, but not yet. I steadied my footing and waited, just in case.

"Give me my sight back," Tanya demanded. Zafrina was steadily watching Kate. Now that Tanya was more manageable, I watched too. Poor Garrett looked as though he might never get up again...but then he did. He looked as stunned and dishevelled as someone who had narrowly avoided being hit by a train, but he was all right.

"If I let you up, will you knock me down again, Kate?" he whispered, sounding a little out of breath. In response, Kate snarled and thrashed wildly, pain and fury burning in her black eyes. It hurt to see her like that; I was glad Tanya could not.

"Listen to me Tanya, Kate," I instructed, keeping my voice low and quite so nobody would hear it shaking. "Vengeance doesn't help her now. Irina wouldn't want you to throw your lives away like this. Think about what you're doing: if you attack them, we will all die."

Tanya finally let her shoulders slump. Weakened by her grief, she leant on me for support. I shifted my grip, turning her in my arms so that she faced me.

"Tanya, I'm sorry, I understand you want to fight back," I told her. "But please, don't make it at the expense of the rest of us. Irina died to save us_. _Don't throw that away. Please." My voice faded to a breath. I looked deep into Tanya's sorrowful eyes, and she slowly nodded. I slowly nodded back, and let my arms fall to my sides.


	82. Above and Beyond

**AN ~ Surprise! I haven't forgotten about you I have been busy lately with writing some original fiction but I did promise I'd get these up so here they are and still coming. Not long now though!**

Chapter Eighty-Two: Above and Beyond

Esme:

Caius' confident smirk faded. His bloodthirsty glare turned furious, staring in disbelief at Kate and Garrett, still lying in the snow. Aro, too, watched the pair but in awe, no doubt of the fact that had withstood such a powerful shock. The black-cloaked warriors crouched, ready to attack immediately after we made the first move. Behind them, the red-cloaks seemed very confused. Clearly they had not been expecting this outcome.

My eyes were drawn towards the third elder. Marcus hovered eerily in the corner, watching me with hazy red eyes. He seemed bored, and perhaps a little sad. Sad that he would not get his fight, or was it that he knew I was about to suffer immense pain as my family was taken away from me? Maybe he knew what was going to happen; maybe he knew how painful it would be. Would it hurt him, I wondered, to feel our bonds snap and fray as one by one, we were plucked from existence?

This train of thought was interrupted by Aro's voice.

"Irina has been punished for bearing false witness against this child. Perhaps we should return to the matter at hand?"

Caius straightened and made his face almost unreadable, though he couldn't hide the hurt at the fact that Aro had just cut him down; no doubt he had been plotting while we had all been paying attention to Tanya and Kate. Aro drifted forward, followed by the two guards Edward had invited, and the cloaked girl who insisted on keeping contact with her master at all times. Why was she there? Was she a shield like Bella? I glanced at Edward; he nodded. She must be weaker, though, else she wouldn't have to be in contact with the one she was protecting. Edward nodded again. Even though I had finally found out a little more about Aro's mysterious living shadow, I was no better off for it. The hair at the back of my neck bristled with a warning as the cloaked ones approached.

"Just to be thorough, I'd like to speak with a few of your witnesses," Aro explained to nobody in particular. No doubt he was clarifying things for his own witnesses. "Procedure, you know."

The cruel smile crept back onto Caius' face, eyes glistening in anticipation. Edward balled his hands into fists and hissed. He looked so tense he might explode; luckily for us, he resisted. Carlisle glanced anxiously at Edward before neutralising his own expression: we couldn't do anything yet without inducing the fight ourselves. We had to let the cards fall where they may. Though Carlisle tried to keep his face still, I could see his discomfort as Aro passed him and Tanya, and approached Amun and Kebi.

"Ah, Amun, my southern neighbour!" Aro greeted with enthusiasm that far exceeded the situation. "It has been so long since you've visited me."

"Time means little; I never notice its passing," Amun replied through tight lips. For all his stoicism he looked slightly panicked. Kebi, meanwhile, was an elegant statue by his side, her eyes steady on Aro's face.

"So true," Aro agreed. "But maybe you had another reason to stay away?"

Amun said nothing, and Aro continued, unfazed.

"It can be terribly time-consuming to organise newcomers into a coven. I know that well!" he said. "I'm grateful I have others to deal with the tedium. I'm glad your new additions have fit in so well. I would have loved to be introduced." No doubt of that. Ben's ability was beyond explanation even by Carlisle; he would certainly be an object of fascination for Aro and his beloved historical records.

"I'm sure you were meaning to come see me soon," Aro said, more of an assumption than a suggestion. I recalled the hefty pendant he had sent Bella, and wondered if Ben had received a similar package – and if so, what he had done with it.

"Of course," Amun agreed, concealing any fear or sarcasm his words may have held. Aro grinned.

"Oh well, we're all together now!" he cried, as if the rest of the gathering were not shying away from him in an odd sort of fear that felt a bit like embarrassment. "Isn't it lovely?"

Amun nodded, his face blank. It seemed he was just as convinced by Aro's cheerfulness as the rest of us - that is to say, not at all.

"But the reason for your presence here is not as pleasant, unfortunately," Aro continued. "Carlisle called on you to witness?"

"Yes," Amun replied, in the same emotionless tone.

"And what did you witness for him?"

"I've observed the child in question. It was evident immediately that she was not an Immortal Child-"

"Perhaps we should define our terminology now there seem to be new classifications," Aro interrupted. "By Immortal Child you mean of course a human child who had been bitten and thus transformed into a vampire."

"Yes, that's what I meant," Amun agreed.

"What else did you observe about the child?"

"That she grows...quickly."

"And...do you believe that she should be allowed to live?" Aro's lips stretched into a smile. I hissed - and I was not alone. Amun glanced around uneasily.

"I did not come to make judgements," he said, carefully weighing up his words. Aro laughed, trying to ease some of the tension.

"Just your opinion," he invited.

"I see no danger in the child," Amun decided. "She learns even more swiftly than she grows."

Aro nodded thoughtfully and turned away. Amun called after him, and he whipped around, the sudden speed amidst such tension making everyone jump.

"Yes, friend?" Aro queried amiably.

"I gave my witness. I have no more business here. My mate and I would like to take our leave now."

"Of course. I'm so glad we were able to chat for a bit. And I'm sure we'll see each other soon."

Amun's lips were tight as he nodded his acknowledgement of the threat - which Aro hardly bothered to conceal. He had no reason to; Amun couldn't do anything about it anyway, except run as fast and as far as they could. I spared a thought for the two of them, hoping they would not be punished for their role in helping us.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

The fear, anger and confusion of his audience slipped off Aro like water from a duck's back as he glided over to Siobhan. I don't know how he could act so carefree: the weight of it made it hard for me to stand.

"Hello, Siobhan," he greeted. "You are as lovely as ever."

Siobhan inclined her head and waited for Aro to continue, which he happily did:

"And you? Would you answer my questions the same way Amun has?"

"I would," Siobhan said, "but I would perhaps add a little more. Renesmee understands the limitations. She's no danger to humans - she blends in better than we do. She poses no threat of exposure."

"Can you think of _none_?" Aro pressed. Edward growled roughly; furiously. Caius' eyes lit up. Garrett pushed away from Kate and stepped forward. I glanced at Esme, and watched the realisation dawn in her eyes as an objection, any objection, rose and was strangled in my throat. They knew how they would do this. They had found the crack – or rather, the gaping chasm of unknown that was Renesmee's future.

"I don't think I follow you," Siobhan said slowly.

"There is no broken law," Aro explained. "No broken law. However, does it follow that there is no danger? No. That is a separate issue." He began to pace, as calmly and thoughtfully as I had done millions of times, in hundreds of offices, before this whole thing began. "She is unique...utterly, impossibly unique. Such a waste it would be, to destroy something so lovely. Especially when we could learn so much..." He sighed exasperatedly. "But there is danger, danger that simply cannot be ignored..."

Aro continued his little monologue, and I watched, blind. Behind my eyelids was Esme, with the ghosts of tears in her eyes. I could not speak, I could not breathe. It was as though I was drowning in those tears. But worse. It was like not drowning. It was like having every cavity full of water, my senses choked, my very bones as heavy as anchors and yet I was not drowning.

"Only the known is safe," Aro pointed out, no longer talking to himself, but to the red-cloaked Volturi witnesses. "Only the known is tolerable. The unknown is...a vulnerability."

"You're reaching, Aro," I murmured bleakly.

"Peace, friend." He brushed me off. "Let us not be hasty. Let us look at this from every side."

Once again, Garrett came to my rescue. "May I offer a side to be considered?"

"Nomad." Aro nodded, giving Garrett the floor. Silence fell over our side. A flicker of hope, like a beacon, drew us all towards him. I forgot about drowning for the moment, and leant towards his famous words, as most of his audience did. Garrett, however, focused on the group of red-cloaked witnesses. Confused by the hidden agendas, by Irina's hasty execution and by the hectic events that had followed, these witnesses were the Volturi's own random factor in this equation.

"I came here at Carlisle's request, as the rest, to witness," Garett began. "That is certainly no longer necessary with regards to the child. We all see what she is. I also came to witness something else. You." He jabbed a finger at the witnesses, who froze not unlike a deer who had just heard a rustling from the trees and was yet to decide if it was a threat. Caius huffed to himself, and Aro watched Garrett with a polite smile on his face.

"Two of you I know - Makenna, Charles," Garrett went on. "And I can see that many of you are also wanderers, roamers like myself. Answering to none. Think carefully on what I tell you now."

"What's he up to?" Tanya murmured under her breath. I twitched my hand and she fell silent, but the same question was on my mind.

"These ancients did _not _come here for justice as they told you," Garrett was saying. "We suspected as much, and now it has been proved. They came, misled, but with a valid excuse for their action. Witness now as they seek flimsy excuses to continue their true mission. Witness them struggle to find a justification for their true purpose: to destroy this family here." Garrett gestured towards Tanya and I. The witnesses glanced at us and then flickered over the rows behind us. They seemed too stunned to so much as murmur amongst themselves.

"The Volturi came here to erase what they perceive as the competition," Garrett continued, drawing the attention of the Volturi witnesses back to himself. "Perhaps, like me, you look at this clan's golden eyes and marvel. They are difficult to understand, it's true, but the ancient ones look and see something besides their strange choice: they see _power._"

Aro shot a glance at me, and I saw a glimmer of desperation – fear, almost. He had hoped until that moment that I had never suspected his coveting of my family to be any more than talent scouting and collecting. When I met his eyes, but did not change my expression, Aro shifted uncomfortably before recovering his mad, amused veneer.

"I have witnessed the bonds within this family," Garett continued. "I say _family _and not _coven. _These strange golden-eyed ones deny their very natures, but in return have they found something worth even more, perhaps, than mere gratification of desire?" He paused for effect. "I have made a little study of them in my time here, and it seems to me that intrinsic to this intense family binding - that which makes them possible at all - is the peaceful character of this life of sacrifice. There is no aggression here like we all saw in the large southern clans that grew and diminished so quickly in their wild feuds. There is no thought for domination. Aro knows this better than I do."

This time, Aro hid his reaction very well; there was only the slightest falter in his condescending smile. The red-cloaks glanced at each other again, but remained silent.

"Carlisle assured us all, when he told us what was coming, that he did not call us here to fight," Garrett continued. "These witnesses agreed to give evidence, to slow the Volturi advance with their presence so that Carlisle would get the chance to present his case. But some of us wondered if Carlisle having truth on his side would be enough to stop the so-called justice." Garrett dragged his eyes across the mass of gray-cloaked guards before returning his gaze to the witnesses.

"Are the Volturi here to protect the safety of our secrecy, or to protect their own power?" he asked them. "Did they come to destroy an illegal creation, or a way of life? Could they be satisfied when the danger turned out to be no more than a misunderstanding? Or would they push the issue without the excuse of justice? We have the answer to all these questions. We heard it in Aro's lying words - we have one with a gift of knowing such things for certain - and we see it now in Caius' eager smile. Their guard is just a mindless weapon, a tool in their masters' quest for domination."

A few of the guard hissed at this, but Garrett ignored them.

"So now there are more questions, questions that _you _must answer. Who rules you, nomads? Do answer someone's will besides your own? Are you free to choose your path, or will the Volturi decide how you will live? I came to witness. I stay to fight. The Volturi care nothing for the death of the child. They seek the death of our free will."

Garrett turned to the ancients and glared defiantly.

"So come, I say!" he challenged. "Let's hear no more lying rationalisations. Be honest in your intents as we will be in ours. We will defend our freedom: you will or will not attack it. Choose now, and let these witnesses see the true issue debated here."

He turned back to the witnesses to conclude his speech. They were taken aback by the whole scenario, but Garrett's words had obviously struck a cord.

"You might consider joining us," Garrett offered gravely. "If you think the Volturi will let you live to tell _this _tale, you are mistaken. We may all be destroyed - but then again, maybe not. Perhaps the Volturi have finally met their match. I promise you this, though: if we fall, so do you."


	83. To Those About to Die

_"You might consider joining us," Garrett offered gravely. "If you think the Volturi will let you live to tell this tale, you are mistaken. We may all be destroyed - but then again, maybe not. Perhaps the Volturi have finally met their match. I promise you this, though: if we fall, so do you."_

Chapter 83: To Those About to Die 

Some of the red-cloaked faces tried to hide their smirks as Garrett stepped back into line. Others looked simply stunned. Aro too looked shocked for a moment, but as usual he smoothed it over and smoothly improvised a comeback.

"A fine speech, my revolutionary friend."

"Revolutionary?" Garrett growled. "Who am I revolting against, might I ask? Are you my king? Do you wish me to call you _master,_ too,like your sycophantic guard?"

"Peace, Garrett," Aro said, though his gentle tone was a little strained. "I meant only to refer to your time of birth. Still a patriot, I see."

Garrett glared back in silence. Aro ignored him, instead turning to his own witnesses, in the hopes of quelling or undoing the doubt or fear Garrett's words may have provoked.

"What do you think of all this?" he asked them. "I can assure you, the child is not what we feared. Do we take the risk and let the child live? Do we put our world in jeopardy to preserve their family intact? Or does earnest Garrett have the right of it? Will you join them in a fight against our sudden quest for domination?"

"Those are our only choices?" Makenna asked, narrowing her eyes at Aro. "Agree with you, or fight against you?"

"Of course not, most charming Makenna," Aro replied, with a horrified face straight out of a classic opera. "You may go in peace, of course, as Amun did, even if you disagree with the council's decision."

Aro's subtle threat - _as Amun did - _was not lost on Makenna. She glanced up at Charles for an answer, and he gave a small nod.

"We did not come here for a fight," she said to Aro. "We came here to witness. And our witness is that this condemned family is innocent. Everything that Garrett claimed is the truth."

"Ah," Aro said sadly. "I'm sorry you see us in that way. But such is the nature of our work."

"It is not what I see, but what I feel," Charles explained hesitantly. "Garrett said they have ways of knowing lies. I too know when I am hearing the truth and when I am not." Waiting for Aro's reaction, Charles shifted closer to his mate. He had never been as confident as his short, dark-haired companion. Thinking about this made me feel wistful all of a sudden; they reminded me so much of Alice and Jasper.

"Do not fear us, friend Charles," Aro soothed. "No doubt the patriot truly believes what he says." Aro chuckled lightly as if to make a joke of Garrett's speech. Charles glared at him.

"That is our witness," Makenna said, wisely cutting off whatever her mate was thinking of saying. "We're leaving now."

She and Charles backed away, only turning their backs on us once they had reached the safety of the thicker forest. Four more red cloaks disappeared after them. Apparently unfazed by his dwindling numbers, and the remaining disquiet amongst the witnesses, Aro left them to their thoughts, pacing back to address his guard.

"We are outnumbered, dearest ones. We can expect no outside help. Should we leave this question undecided to save ourselves?"

"No, master," they replied in an eerie unison.

"Is the protection of our world worth perhaps the loss of some of our number?"

"Yes. We are not afraid."

Aro smiled and turned to counsel with his fellow elders. Behind us, the wolves' heartbeats sped up a little. The stench of their breath, which I had become accustomed to over the last few months, suddenly felt overwhelming again, but I dared not stop breathing, because I could smell my family. Most of them, at least.

"You remember what I told you?" Bella whispered behind me.

"I love you," Renesmee choked.

"I love you too," Bella promised. "More than my own life."

Jacob whined uneasily, and Bella addressed him next, in an even softer whisper.

"Wait until they're totally distracted, then run with her," she instructed. "Get as far away from this place as you possibly can. When you've gone as far as you can on foot, she has what you need to get you in the air."

"This is what you kept from me?" Edward whispered bleakly.

"From Aro," Bella breathed.

"Alice?"

Alice. Trust that wonderfully bright, energetic girl to come up with a way to save Renesmee, against all odds. I dared not touch the crucifix that rested against my chest, but I gave my thanks, with all the sincerity I could muster, that Alice and Jasper were safe. If Bella and Edward were sending Nessie away, they were going to die.

"There is no hope then?" I whispered.

"There is absolutely hope," Bella replied quietly. "I only know my own fate."

In silence, Esme cut through the crowd and took my hand in hers. She was so close now that with a little concentration, all I could smell was cinnamon and roses, and bizarrely, I felt warm. Safe, I could even say, because she looked up at me with her perfect caramel-coloured eyes and I knew that she felt the same way I did. She was prepared to go as far as I was. So we did not discuss it. Instead, she smiled at me.

"We have a granddaughter, Carlisle," she whispered.

"Get ready," Bella warned in a low voice. "It's starting."

.o.o.o.

Esme:

The waiting was the worst part. After such rash provocation of the Denali sisters, I expected the clearing to erupt in battle as soon as the Volturi realised their façade no longer served a purpose. Instead, Edward and Bella narrated an apparently intense battle going on between those with mental talents. Suddenly, Edward gasped.

"Carlisle! Are you all right?"

I jumped, horrified that I had not noticed any change in him. But as Carlisle responded in the affirmative, I realised had been none.

"Incredible," Edward murmured, fascinated.

Jane glared furiously at Bella, her teeth gritted. She was the one who had tortured Bree; she was the one Bella was resisting this very moment. Bella grinned at Jane's obvious frustration, and Jane screeched with rage. The one next to her - her brother Alec, I assumed - tucked Jane under his arm and turned his attention to us.

A strange black mist rolled forth, unaffected by Ben's elemental manipulations. Behind it, Jane smiled in dark anticipation. Beside me, I could hear Carlisle breathing. I heard his breath catch as the mist rolled on, and he squeezed my hand stiffly, with terror. All of a sudden, the mist appeared to hit a dead end. It stretched sideways and upwards, but did not progress forward.

"Well done Bella!" Ben praised in a hushed voice.

"I'm going to have to concentrate," Bella whispered, staring straight ahead, her eyes burning with the effort of focus. "When it comes to hand to hand, it's going to be harder to keep the shield around the right people."

"I'll keep them off you," Edward vowed.

"No, you _have _to get to Demetri," Bella objected. "Zafrina will keep them away from me."

"No one will touch this young one," Zafrina's thickly accent voice assured Edward.

"I'd go after Jane and Alec myself, but I can do more good here," Bella decided.

"Jane's mine," Kate hissed vengefully. "She needs a taste of her own medicine."

"And Alec owes me many lives, but I will settle for his," Vladimir put in. "He's mine."

"I just want Caius," Tanya said, her tone hauntingly even. Part of me was glad she would have her revenge for the beloved sister taken away from their family today. Had I been able to find the heart, I might even have smiled for her. But I was unable to escape the knowledge that everyone who had been in this clearing today would be dead by the end of it.

"Before we vote, let me remind you; whatever the council's decision, there need be no violence here." Aro reinforced his words with a softened glance at Carlisle. They were old friends, and Carlisle's fingers twitched as the rare flash of sincerity – or at least what appeared to be so – encouraged memories of their friendship to resurface. But his expression did not change. He had been betrayed, in the deepest of ways, and I doubted whether Aro would ever claim back his place in Carlisle's heart. It seemed Aro had noticed Carlisle's imperviousness as well, moving quickly, if reluctantly, onto the vote.


	84. The Vote

Chapter 84: The Vote

Carlisle:

"The child is an unknown quantity," Caius evaluated, too eager to be called anything but bloodthirsty. "There is no reason to allow such a risk to exist. It must be destroyed, along with all who protect it."

Esme ground her teeth together and snarled under her breath. Behind us, there was a quiet hiss from the Denali sisters and Amazonians. Where was Kachiri? Were Zafrina and Senna to be denied their last goodbye? Only the council's decision would tell.

"I see no immediate danger," Marcus decided. "The child is safe for now. We can always re-evaluate later. Let us leave in peace."

"I must make the deciding vote, it seems," Aro murmured. His eyes slowly scanned our ranks, some of the wolves shifting anxiously under his gaze, until sudden Edward broke his concentration.

"Yes!" Edward hissed sharply. Esme frowned and glanced at me, and then reached for her son, confused and concerned.

"Aro?" Edward called, unmistakably overjoyed. Aro frowned at him and hesitated before responding.

"Yes Edward? You have something further..?"

"Perhaps," Edward replied, just barely containing a shout of victory. It was at such strong odds with the heaviness of my own feelings that it made my gut twist. I glanced at Esme, who had lowered her arm. She glanced back, fearful of the mad glee that had apparently overtaken Edward.

"First, if I could clarify one point?" Edward asked.

"Certainly," Aro said, more than a little surprised.

"This danger you foresee from my daughter - this stems entirely from our inability to guess how she will develop? This is the crux of the matter?"

"Yes, friend Edward," Aro assured him. "If we could but be positive...be _sure _that, as she grows, she will be able to stay concealed from the human world - not endanger the safety of our obscurity..." he trailed off and shrugged, still curiously watching Edward. I watched too: bizarre emotional reaction aside, it was unusual for Edward to talk about matters of such gravitas with such a straightforward approach. He was a very poetic person, verging on the melodramatic – and at times diving headlong into it. If I didn't know better, I might suggest that he had been possessed by his little sister.

"So if we could only know for sure exactly what she will become...then there would be no need for a council at all?"

_Edward, what are you planning? _It was not unusual for him to know things that we did not know. Perhaps someone had seen a loophole I had not. I had to trust in him – but that mad glimmer in his eye, the way he talked so freely about his daughter as she stood on the threshold of a bloody and violent death, made me wonder if perhaps, just perhaps, Edward might not have cracked under the pressure. I had known several vampires that had led far quieter lives than Edward had, whose mere years had been the death of them. Contrary to popular belief, a lot of people do not deal well with immortality.

"If there was a way to be _absolutely _sure, then yes, there would be no question to debate."

"And we would part in peace, good friends once again?"

"Of course my young friend. Nothing would please me more."

"Then I do have something more to offer."

"She is absolutely unique," Aro pointed out. "Her future can only be guessed at."

"Not _absolutely _unique," Edward clarified. "Rare, certainly, but not one of a kind."

A tiny candle of hope lit itself in my chest - could it really be that we could be safe after all? That in all those pages and pages of stories there had been something worthwhile?

"Aro, would you ask Jane to stop attacking my wife?" Edward asked civilly. "We are still discussing evidence."

Aro raised one hand.

"Peace, dear ones," he instructed, "let us hear him out."

Edward waited a moment, trying to hold back the grin that was trying to break onto his face. Esme squeezed my hand anxiously, her eyes watching intently. It seemed like hours before he finally spoke again.

"Why don't you join us, Alice?"

.o.o.o.

Esme:

"Alice," I gasped - could it be true?

"Alice!" Carlisle whispered.

"Alice?"

"Alice!"

A murmur passed through the crowd as we looked and listened for Alice - and, I hoped, Jasper. They were easy to hear, crashing through the forest with no worry about concealment; only speed. There were five sets of footsteps. I glanced up at Carlisle. His head was turned, staring at the fringe of the forest, where the new arrivals soon appeared.

Alice was first, of course, and I felt my heart lift. When Jasper appeared a few feet behind her it nearly leapt out of my chest. But still the surprises did not stop. Kachiri - the third member of the Amazonian threesome – was on Jasper's heels, and being followed by two strangers. The first of these was a slight-built, olive-skinned female. She had a long, thick black braid which bobbed as she ran and swung side to side as she looked over the scene before her. The second - notably slower and less graceful than those he followed - was a young man with dark coffee-brown skin. He had a black braid of hair too, but it was not as long as that of his female companion. I found myself all the more curious when, once the crunching and crashing had stopped, a second thrumming heartbeat could be heard beside Renesmee's.

Jasper, Kachiri and the two strangers followed Alice until she stopped at Edward's side. Bella reached over and touched her arm; so did Edward, Carlisle and I. I wished I could have said something, but there was too much, especially with the guillotine dangling above us all as it did.

After those first few seconds of awe, though, time seemed to grind back into motion. Across the field, the guard looked to each other as they watched our allies pass through Bella's shield. They were beginning to realise that they would be able to pass through with the same ease, that we were still unprotected against a physical attack. And now Alice, Jasper, Kachiri and these two strangers who had agreed to help us...they were all in danger too. I shut my eyes for a moment and squeezed Carlisle's hand, hoping against hope that the strangers would be the keys to our survival.

"Alice has been searching for her own witnesses these past few weeks, and she does not come back empty handed," Edward explained to the ancients. "Alice, why don't you introduce the witnesses you've brought?"

"The time for witnesses is past!" Caius snarled. "Cast your vote, Aro!"

Aro raised a finger to silence his companion. His eyes were fixed on Alice's face with a mad look about them; it set me on edge. Alice, seemingly unfazed, took a dainty step forward and announced her witnesses:

"This is Huilen and her nephew, Nahuel."

Caius hissed, and the guard shifted and murmured. Everyone was unsettled. I even felt Carlisle fidget anxiously.

"Speak, Huilen," Aro commanded. "Give us the witness you were brought to bear."

The stranger woman glanced nervously at Alice, who nodded her encouragement. Kachiri put her long, slender fingers on the stranger's shoulder; another gesture of support. After a moment of hesitation, Huilen spoke in clear but bizarrely accented English - I couldn't pick an origin.

"I am Huilen," she began. "A century and a half ago, I lived with my people, the Mapuche. My sister was Pire. Our parents named her after the snow on the mountains because of her fair skin." Her grammar was a little disjointed but it was obvious she had been practicing, preparing herself to tell the story under pressure. Huilen went on to tell how Pire had been visited by a dark angel, and that she carried his child. Pire did not listen to Huilen's warnings, and by the time the child - Nahuel - was born, it was too late to save his mother. Nahuel bit Huilen, and she thought she was going to die. Instead, she changed, and when she woke up, she and Nahuel became family.

"We have never come so far from our homes," Huilen admitted sheepishly. "But Nahuel wished to see the child here." She glanced briefly at Nessie before stepping back so that she was partially hidden by Kachiri's fierce frame.

Carlisle and Edward had a brief, silent conversation. Alice and Jasper smiled at each other. Kate and Tanya gave each other surprised looks. Zafrina and Senna appeared to be contemplating approaching their sister. I kept my eyes trained on Aro, whose lips were pursed as he studied Nahuel.

"Nahuel, you are one hundred and fifty years old?" he asked.

"Give or take a decade. We don't keep track." Nahuel's reply was calm and confident, his accent barely noticeable.

"And you reached maturity at what age?"

"About seven years after my birth, more or less, I was full grown."

"You have not changed since then?"

"Not that I've noticed." Nahuel shrugged, seemingly unaffected by the numerous pairs of anxious eyes that tracked his every movement; ears that hung on his every word.

"And your diet?"

"Mostly blood, but some human food too. I can survive on either."

Carlisle's thumb drew tiny circles on my hand; I don't know whether he was expressing his own anxiety or trying to calm mine, but the suspense - teetering between joy and despair - was clear on his face. I'm sure mine was the same.

"You were able to create an immortal?" Aro's voice was suddenly sharp.

"Yes, but none of the rest can."

"The rest?" Tanya breathed, leaning over slightly and prodding Carlisle's shoulder with two fingers. He frowned, confused, and a timid but curious murmur ran through our ranks. Even the wolves growled a little, under their breaths. Our confusion was matched by the other side, apparently, as even the robotic black cloaks couldn't keep from shifting.

"The rest?" Aro inquired, raising his eyebrows.

"My sisters," Nahuel shrugged. Aro was silent, his expression somewhere between fury and amazement. I took a tiny step towards Carlisle, and the snow crunching under my feet was painstakingly loud. I kept my eyes trained on Aro as he carefully configured his expression.

"Perhaps you would tell us the rest of your story," he invited, "for there seems to be more."

Nahuel frowned. Carlisle leaned forward, pulling his hand further out of mine. As Nahuel spoke of his father, the slightest whimper escaped Alice's throat; apparently, she had not counted on the conversation getting this far.

"Your daughter, is she venomous?" Caius snapped at Bella.

"No," she responded, surprisingly calm.

Aro stared at Carlisle, his lips pursed. Then Edward. Then Bella. He certainly was taking his sweet time about this. Damn this god-forsaken waiting! I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. It didn't work.

"We take care of the aberration here, and then follow it south," Caius suggested, his tone verging on hysteria. Aro mulled over this for a painstakingly long time, watching Bella intently.

All eyes were on Aro; the one who would cast the deciding vote. I tried to swallow the panic I could feel rising in my throat, but my mouth was bone dry. At the same time I felt like shouting with joy, because we finally knew something about Nessie - she was going to stop aging once she was fully grown! She was not going to die young after all! That is, if she survived this ordeal. I ground my teeth together, feeling like a caged tiger. Until at last, Aro spoke.

"Brother," he said softly, "there appears to be no danger. This is an unusual development, but I see no threat. These half-vampire children are much like us, it appears."

"Is that your vote?" Caius hissed, eyes narrowed; clearly unhappy with the outcome.

"It is."


	85. Glowing

**AN ~ Extremely sorry for my lack of updating guys! I definitely have it finished now and am posting the last three fairly short chapters in one fell swoop for you guys to enjoy. Thanks so much for sticking with me, new readers and old, and I would really really love to hear what you've thought of my story!**

Chapter Eighty Five: Glowing

Carlisle:

Caius scowled, angry with his brother's decision but moreso with the fact that there were too many witnesses to take it back without killing everyone here...not that I would put it past him to take the latter option. At this thought, I had to make a conscious effort not make the slightest reaction; even to ball my hands into fists at my side could be the motion that started the fight. We were so close...I couldn't spoil it now. I ground my teeth together and waited.

"And this Joham?" Caius demanded. "This immortal so fond of experimentation?"

"Perhaps we _should _speak with him," Aro agreed.

"Stop Joham if you will," Nahuel interrupted, "but leave my sisters be. They are innocent."

"Dear ones, we do not fight today," Aro announced. Though he seemed reluctant to dispel the paralysing barrier, Alec allowed his mist to dissipate. Caius glared bitterly at no one in particular, detesting the fact that he had been denied his fight, but we were safe from him for now. Jane, too, glared resentfully as she was denied her chance to torture us. The red cloaked witnesses looked as anxious as our side, unable to predict what was to happen next: it was all too obvious that Aro's words could not be trusted.

Apparently oblivious – but probably, in reality, paying very close attention - to the fact that myself and everyone behind me were on our guard, Aro turned back to us with a polite expression. It didn't seem to matter to him that for this entire consultation, he and his brothers had been shamelessly prodding us for condemning information. The fear he had put us through, the anger, the worry...none of it seemed to matter to him. Even Irina's death had seemed to pass completely over the man's head. I knew he cared for me, that he was glad my family and I did not have to be destroyed, but that knowledge was not enough. Not this time. I ground my teeth together, making an effort not to snarl at the man I had once called _friend._

Felix, Demetri and Renata hovered behind their leader as always, but the rest of the guard was already beginning to retreat - in a carefully ordered procession, of course - as Aro addressed our side.

"I'm so glad this could be resolved without violence," Aro said, his tone stinging with false sweetness. "My friend, Carlisle; how pleased I am to call you friend again! I hope there are no hard feelings. I know you understand the strict burden that our duty places on our shoulders."

He smiled hopefully at me. I stared flatly back.

"Leave in peace, Aro," I said stiffly. It was all I could do to stop myself snarling. "Please remember that we still have our anonymity to protect here, and keep your guard from hunting in this region."

Aro's smile faded.

"Of course, Carlisle," he assured me sadly. "I am sorry to have earned your disapproval, my dear friend. Perhaps, in time, you will forgive me." I felt no remorse, despite the sadness in his eyes. Hurt and rage washed through me instead.

"Perhaps, in time, if you prove a friend to us again." My voice was stiff, scarcely even polite. I didn't care. Aro, Felix, Demetri, Renata...they were my enemies now, and could well be for decades. But I would not give in. I couldn't.

Aro bowed his head and slunk away, finally accepting the damage he had wreaked to our relationship today. The last of the Volturi disappeared into the trees with, but the tension did not waver, just in case the Volturi returned.

We watched.

We waited.

Nothing happened.

"Is it really over?" Bella ventured.

"Yes," Edward assured her. "They've given up. Like all bullies, they're cowards underneath the swagger." He chuckled. Alice laughed too, which brought a smile to my lips despite everything. _My daughter is back._

"Seriously, people, they're not coming back," she said. "Everybody can relax now."

More silence. I glanced at Esme. She raised an eyebrow.

"Of all the rotten luck," Stefan muttered bitterly.

All of a sudden, the clearing was full of cheers and howls that shook the forest. Esme threw her arms around my neck, kissed me quickly and then was gone to hug Alice and Jasper as tightly as she could without injuring them.

The thrill of my own sheer relief was dizzying. I skittered over to Huilen and her nephew and tried to articulate my thanks. I stuttered and stumbled and spluttered my way through a dozen 'thank-you's, trying to find one that might possibly begin to cover my feelings.

"Huilen, Nahuel...Do you- You honestly don't know how much I owe you. Well, we all do. You've saved us all...I can't believe it...and the risks you must have taken to come here? Oh, goodness, I can't thank you enou-"

Huilen laughed. It was like a bell. Her nephew smiled.

"It was good to get out," she replied cheerfully. "I'm glad we could help you. Hmm...the famous Cullens. I heard a lot about you on our way up here. That Alice talks a lot, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does," I replied, distracted as Huilen had spoken Alice's name, by the sight of the two of them locked in their mother's arms not far off. Sparing a moment to look Huilen and Nahuel each in the eyes, and thank them once again, I excused myself and slipped away to Esme's side. Before I was even there, Alice slipped out of the hug and threw her arms around me.

"That stupid note! Damn Aro. God, forgive me, Carlisle!" she cried. "I'm so sorry for doing that to you! It's just that Aro- if Aro found out at the wrong time-"

I lowered my daughter to the ground and she raised her eyebrows pleadingly.

"Of course I forgive you, Alice," I told her. She smiled, and glanced up at Jasper, taking her mate's hand and pulling him closer to her. He was smiling - he couldn't help it, what with all the joy everyone here exuded.

"It's good to be back," he said. I nodded. We stood in silence for a while, watching each other, until all of a sudden the desire overcame us and we wrapped our arms around each other. Still under Esme's arm, Alice fawned, wiping away an imaginary tear of joy. Jasper and I parted, and Alice all but shoved Esme into my arms. When I looked down to catch her, to steady her, her big, beautiful eyes locked onto mine, and the distractions around us faded into a bright, glowing joy, reflected in those glorious eyes. Esme jumped up daintily, and wrapped her arms around my neck. I caught her and cradled her in my arms. I committed to memory every detail of her in this moment. Every caramel wave that framed her gentle face, the richness of her golden eyes, her peaceful, comforted smile...

She kissed me, or I kissed her, I can't remember if I ever could tell. Fireworks went off inside my head, and I must have let slip a protective growl as I drew her closer to me, because she laughed as she broke the kiss.

"Easy, tiger," she murmured, smiling coquettishly as she ran her fingers down my cheek. "We have guests."

"Sorry sweetheart," I said, grinning back. I watched the procession of our allies as they headed towards the Cullen house, and when the last of them past us I put one arm around Esme's shoulders and followed. I couldn't help being grateful for the simple fact that _my _Esme was back. The sadness and worry that had built up over the last few weeks was gone, and she was glowing again.


	86. To Everything There Is A Season

Chapter Eighty Six: To Everything There Is a Season

Stephan and Vladimir had been first to leave of course, furious that there hadn't been a 'proper fight.' Ben and Tia had been quick to follow Amun and Kebi, though they seemed reluctant to miss the festivities. The nomads dispersed throughout the night, and by the morning the Amazonians were ready to leave too. I made a mental note to visit Zafrina more often - not that it would be a problem now that Nessie was around to draw her out of her beloved forest. The Irish were next. I asked them to tell Alistair what had happened: he had worried about having to hide under a rock for a decade, and I have a feeling that's exactly what he would have done had we lost. Fortunately, Liam agreed to find Alistair. Who knows, maybe he'd make a new friend.

Speaking of friends...it soon came time for the Denalis to leave. The solemnity of their faces now, standing at the door, was almost too much to bear, especially knowing that their sister had died defending us and that I had never been able to set things right between us.

"We're sorry to be leaving so soon, but we don't want to spoil the festive atmosphere," Tanya explained. Finding her resolve weakening, she turned to leave as she spoke. The other Denalis jogged towards the forest, eager to get home after their sad ordeal. But I couldn't let Tanya leave like that; so broken and dispirited.

"I'm sorry about Irina," I said, making her hesitate. Taking a deep breath, to gather herself, Tanya pressed something into my hands.

"Irina's death was not your fault, Carlisle," she assured me. "The bitterness between you was resolved in her last moments; you have nothing left to apologise for. We are just not prepared to celebrate with you in light of what has happened. I appreciate your joy; I do not resent that smile on your face. Siobhan was right; the Volturi will strike again with everything they've got. When they do, we'll stand united. Until they do, enjoy every moment with your family. You never know which might be your last."

Edward could have died that day. Or Esme, or Bella, or myself. It was a reality I had been determined to eradicate from my mind. For the Denalis, particularly Kate and Tanya, it was a reality that they might never overcome: without so much as an 'I love you,' their sister had been taken from them forever. The Denali sisters were connected, almost like three segments of the same organism. Irina's death had scarred them deeply, and may not ever heal...so much damage in only a few seconds. If I was smiling before, I certainly wasn't now. Both of us looked away from each other, flushed.

"I'm sorry. I was being melodramatic," Tanya said.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to say goodbye," I said.

"It's my fault," she sniffled. "I should have protected her. _I should have protected her!"_

An instant later, I was hit with the force of a train. Tanya's arms locked around my neck, and she sobbed.

"What happened to Irina was not your fault, Tanya," I told her, wrapping my arms around her and hugging her close to me. She continued to shake with sobs. I clung tighter, desperate not to let my own sadness mar the victory that had been achieved. "Terrible things happen to good people; Irina was a good person and she understands."

"Not my fault?" Tanya sniffed bitterly. "Oh, that's rich. I get all mad and jump out of line - Carlisle I nearly got us _all killed. _I was careless._ All_ our sacrifices, including Irina's, would have been in vain._"_

"Rage is understandable, and the crisis was averted. Irina died valiantly, defending her friends. It is sad that it had to happen under such unfortunate circumstances, but don't you think she'd have rather gone out like that than withered paper-thin and lost all interest in this world?"

Tanya sighed and shook her head painfully.

"I just can't think of it like that at the moment," she explained, pulling out of my grasp. "I should go."

"You and your family need to be together," I agreed.

"You're my family too, Carlisle. Don't forget that. But for now your place is here. Celebrate, enjoy yourself. Come up in a few weeks, when you're ready. We'll wait for our _whole _family before we send her off properly."

"Thank you," I replied, taking a step back. I looked at the object in my hand; a sterling silver model of the Denali crest: a phoenix with its wings stretched up and open for all to see. It was a symbol of rebirth, ironically, but also one of majesty, valour and loyalty; very fitting for my dear friends. I smiled at Tanya and held the crest close to my heart. She smiled briefly and disappeared into the bushes, and I wandered back to the house with a warm smile on my face, running my fingers over the ridges that created the phoenix.

I tucked the Denali crest into my pocket and drifted through the house, taking my time to get to my study. I took a deep breath, and all manner of pleasant smells filled my lungs as I wandered over to a cabinet in the corner where I kept some of my most precious belongings. I carefully opened the door and set the Denali crest beside the Cullen crest, on the top shelf.

"They go together well," a familiar voice came from behind. I jumped and twisted simultaneously, almost breaking the cabinet door before I let go of it. Esme grinned, skipped over to me with a youth and energy I hadn't seen in her for a long time, and slid around me like a fox to press the cabinet door closed herself.

"Back amongst your books already, Doctor Cullen," she scolded, turning back to me with the facial expression of a teacher telling off a mischievous pupil. "Am I not interesting enough for you? What have your books got that I don't?"

"My dear, it is a question of what you have that my books do not. I'm afraid there is no contest."

I cupped her cheek in my hand and kissed her forehead. She shifted closer to me, a deep purr emanating from her throat. She shivered with delight as I ran my hand down her neck, then down her arm to her hand. I led her over to a settee in the corner and sat down on it with her, drawing her into my lap.

"I love you," Esme breathed, still purring quietly. After a moment of blissful silence she asked;

"Is Tanya okay? Are you okay?"

I replied in the form of a Bible verse; one I found to be very true to life. "_To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn and a time to dance._"

Esme sighed and settled back against me, and I occupied myself running my fingers through her hair, twisting and twirling at will. A human couple might have fallen asleep like this. I found myself wondering what it would be like to wake up with Esme by my side. Sleepy-eyed, we would stare at each other as the morning sun poured in through the window...

"I could stay like this forever," I murmured into Esme's ear. She shifted, suddenly remembering something.

"Huilen and Nahuel stayed," she told me excitedly, twisting around so she faced me. "Alice told them about how much you loved stories. They said they'd be happy to tell you theirs. They'd like to be getting home soon, so I figured you'd want to talk to them as soon as possible."

I grinned back at my wife and both of us stood up. I bowed like a gentleman and kissed her hand.

"Lovely to spend time with you, Miss Esme. I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Don't wear anything too precious." I winked conspiratorially at Esme, who giggled. Next door, Jasper loudly cleared his throat. Esme rolled her eyes at the wall and began shoving me towards the doorway.

"Go on, downstairs with you, you rogue!"


	87. Epilogue

**AN ~ And here we are...the end of the line. A fic I started writing I don't know when. My first serious fanfic. Easily my most epic. Naw I'm gonna cry now. I'm afraid that, for now at least, this concludes my writings on Twilight. I hope you have enjoyed this one and I welcome requests for Doctor Who, Supernatural, Sherlock, Marvel, Disney, I mean try me, I'll have a go, because I love all you guys and your readership has meant a lot to me. Thanks so much. Enjoy.**

Epilogue – Six Months Later

Esme:

Carlisle was bent over his desk as I entered his study. The shelves were slowly being emptied as we prepared to leave Forks. The only things that remained now were a few religious volumes, an eclectic collection of small paintings and that big, old wooden cross. And whatever it was that my husband was so enthusiastically working on.

I sidled up to him and leaned over his shoulder, and saw that he was scraping away at a lump of metal with what looked like some kind of tooth pick, or perhaps a very small scalpel. He was carving our crest into it. I smiled.

"I wanted to give it to Bella before we left," he explained, answering my silent question as he deftly outlined the hand of justice. "It just seems right that she should get it while we're still _here, _where she joined the family. I've been thinking about it for a while - what exactly she would prefer - but time has snuck up on me."

Alice's delicate ribbon choker; Rose's flashy pendant; my small, dainty bracelet - where the crest was drawn in tiny little bubbles in glass - were thoughtfully designed to suit our stylistic preferences. Bella's style remained an enigma for all of us. One that would quite possibly never be solved. Nevertheless, that left us with the problem of trying to decide which form we - Carlisle and I, as the coven leaders - were to provide her with an official, material symbol of belonging.

I looked at the options before me: Carlisle had laid out several ring bases, bracelets and necklaces of different sizes, styles and metals.

"The crest is silver," he informed me, holding it up by his ear, already knowing I was critiquing the situation. Suddenly, it came to me. Not wanting to lose the vision, I batted Carlisle aside and set about adapting the basic jewellery to suit my design. I removed a plate of gold from one of the rings and carefully melded the crest to it, creating a thin golden frame around the outside. With the addition of a clasp at the top, I examined my craftsmanship.

"Do you think we'd be allowed on her bracelet?" I asked, glancing at Carlisle who was watching with a benign, amused expression. At my comment, he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Of course! I didn't think of that." He chuckled and searched through a nearby stack for the perfect box. "Best give her a chain, just in case." He picked up a golden necklace chain with small links and clipped our pendant to the centre before slipping it into the box.

The doorbell rang at that instant, and I heard the gurgling laughter of my beloved granddaughter as she stumbled across the floor and up the stairs to her grandpa's study, insisting all the while in a sophisticated voice that she didn't need help. I crept over to the door and opened it when our little cherub gave a push - she wasn't quite high enough to reach the handle yet, being almost one year old with the height of a three year old. She caught me flitting back to Carlisle's side and frowned. I smiled innocently, pretending I hadn't been anywhere near the door. Nessie was a very independent little girl. With parents like Bella and Edward, it wasn't really a surprise. Eyes still adorably suspicious, Nessie grinned and skipped up to Carlisle and I.

"Come on, old man," she encouraged, prodding Carlisle's knee with a tiny finger. In the other hand, she grasped one of my fingers: she didn't need any more of a grip to know I'd answer to her every whim. Carlisle, meanwhile, was making a show of struggling to get out of his chair: he found it highly amusing to act out the nickname Jacob Black had so kindly graced him with - and, it seemed, his granddaughter felt the desire to carry on. Nessie pouted - an expression stolen straight from Alice's face - and moaned.

"Come _on, _Grandpa."

Carlisle laughed and his youth returned: he leapt to his feet and swung Nessie off hers in one smooth movement. She shrieked with laughter as he swung her up onto his shoulders, pecked me on the cheek, and took off downstairs.

I gathered up the last of Carlisle's things and dropped them into a box, which I brought downstairs with me on one hip. I was on my way out to the car - no, cars - no, _fleet - _waiting outside when Carlisle pulled the box from my grasp and, dumping it on the corner of the table, hauled me into the living room.

"Will you do the honours?" he invited, passing over the small, green, velvet-covered box that held Bella's pendant. The others all looked on in confusion. Well, except Edward, of course, who grinned knowingly to himself as he so often did. Even I was a little flustered at Carlisle's offer: I had always considered the family crest _our _gift to give, but _he _had always been the one to bestow it.

Nevertheless, I took the box from Carlisle's hand and turned to the rest of the family. Realisation dawned, most obvious on Bella's face, as I cleared my throat and began to formulate a speech. I'd never been one for great speeches - I always got nervous and seized up - but words came easily this time.

"Bella." I couldn't help infusing my voice with the smile that I felt while keeping my expression straight. This was a serious proposition. "Isabella Marie Swan Cullen...I met you a shy, insecure, clumsy but beautiful and caring young woman. You brought a spark to Edward's eye that not even his beloved piano ever could." I winked at my son, whose smile widened, before continuing.

"But it was not just his life you changed. I don't think you realise what you've done for the rest of us, especially Carlisle and I." Bella smiled awkwardly from her seat between Alice and Nessie on the couch, and I knew she felt our connection through that intrinsic family bond. We had never shared a moment of such intimacy, such powerful silent interaction. I fingered the box I was holding, reminding myself to go on.

"The first time Carlisle mentioned the smart, perceptive, suffer-in-silence girl Edward saved from a van, I knew you'd be special. I was right. Over the short time we've known you, your powerful devotion to our son, to our family, has astounded both of us. In fact, you became one of us when you first stepped through our door, again when Edward was granted your hand, and again when his venom transformed you. You are still our Bella, just a little less fragile." I smiled for a moment at the running family joke, but my straight face returned as I opened the box and passed it to her.

"You may have noticed that all of us wear this. The Cullen crest. It is a material symbol of the ties that bind us. We feel that those ties have enveloped you too, so we would like to offer you the crest. Do you accept?"

Bella, who had been staring in awe at the contents of the tiny box, looked past it at me. For a few seconds, there was no response. I inclined my head and smiled shyly. Suddenly, Bella's face lit up with joy.

"Are you thirsty, Esme?" she asked, smiling widely. "Of course I accept!" She sprung out of her seat and - as Carlisle stepped discreetly aside - threw her arms around my neck.

"One thing," she amended, stepping back. "_This_ is where you belong." She unclipped the pendant from the necklace and fastened it to her ever-present charm bracelet, symbolising her loves: a wolf for Jacob, a crystal heart for Edward and recently, an amber butterfly for Nessie. And now, us.


End file.
